The Resistance
by I.wish.I.could.be.Number.Five
Summary: AU. Now that the Games are over, we were supposed to enjoy our lives. Yet this year is the Anniversary Games and the mogs will take revenge. The unthinkable has happened and this time there will be no survival. Lorien is changing and the Loric want freedom. We have to fight back,even if it means death. I don't own Lorien Legacies/Hunger Games and all rights belong to the authors.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer - I don't own Lorien Legacies or Hunger Games.**

**Hi guys!**

**Wow! It's the new story already! I can't believe it! Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews and all the support! **

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **ZazzyZ – You've got the right idea about the woman from District 13, just that the woman herself is slightly different in this story, although their roles are identical :D**

**So thank you all so much for the lovely reviews and comments! I've appreciated them all so thank you once more!**

**Please read on!**

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Prologue

Two Days After Round 3 of 14th Annual Funeral Games

**Third POV**

Two mogs enter the Beloved Leader's study, the taller one striding in with all the confidence of someone holding a high position. The General bows to his leader and then takes his usual place by the side of his leader's desk, watching as the second man scurries in. He's small, with glasses perched on his nose and an ornate box clutched in his hands. He is hunched over and his face is filled with wariness as he approaches the desk.

The Beloved Leader watches with a smirk on his face, gesturing to a seat in front of the desk. He exchanges a glance with his General and then takes the box from the small man with his telekinesis. The mog winces as he watches the box float from his hands, his earlier wariness replaced with fear. He sits down nervously on the chair and looks around the lavish study, as if trying to forget where he is.

"This is it?" the Beloved Leader finally asks, still holding the box. "The ideas for the Anniversary Games?" he directs the question towards the small mog. The man nods quickly, his hands twisted together.

"And your name is?" the Leader turns the box over and over in his hands, raising an eyebrow as he watches the small mog.

"Lukas Lauz, my Lord" he says quietly. The General draws up another chair with a loud scraping noise, and Lukas cringes with panic. The Leader smiles cruelly and turns back to the box in his hands, his face becoming more serious. He opens the box and the General leans forwards excitedly as many envelopes are revealed. The leader picks the first one out, which is labelled with '15'. He slowly holds it up into the air, turning the envelope over and over in his hands.

"Do you know what the Anniversary Games are?" he asked Lukas. The mog nods his head but the General snorts, crossing his legs so that his gun at his hip is revealed. Lukas swallows, looking terrified.

"They're Games that are held every time there's a special Anniversary" the General explains, not even caring that Lukas knows what they are. "15 years, 25 years, 50 years et cetera. When there's a special Anniversary year then we hold the Anniversary years and something special happens that year with the Games. A twist, so to speak," he elaborates. The Beloved Leader nods, pulling out the card from the envelope. His eyes flicker over the card and a smirk appears on his lips, before he looks up again.

"For example" he clears his throat. "The idea set out for the 15th Anniversary of the Games was to double the number of tributes" he chuckles. "But somehow I don't think that's very fitting for next year's celebration" He places the card down firmly on the table.

The General looks up, a frown appearing on his face. "What do you mean, Sir?" he asks curiously. The Beloved Leader reaches for another envelope, casually opening it up.

"The Victors of this year's games have been allowed certain _privileges_ shall we say" he says delicately. "They have been getting away with things that could be seen as rebellious when in previous years they would have been punished. Perhaps it is time that they learn how generous we have been," he says softly, dangerously.

The General frowns. "What exactly are you thinking of?" the Leader pulls out the card and reads it, a smirk gracing his lips.

"This card is for the 25th Anniversary. To show that you can trust no one, the Tributes shall be chosen by their own people: the Loric," he reads the card aloud. "But still not fitting enough for what I was thinking" he pulls out another envelope.

The General frowns and leans forwards, hands on his knees, as the Leader stands up and heads to the window. He is still holding the envelope in his hands and then he pulls out the card, reading it quickly. A satisfied smile makes its way onto his face and then he looks out of the window, his face thoughtful.

"_This_ is fitting" he holds the card out to the General, who stands and reaches for it. He reads it quickly and then a cruel smile lights up his face, as he looks up at his leader.

"Perfect" he chuckles. "When do you make the announcement?"

"You can't just swap the cards!" both men turn to see Lukas standing up indignantly, but his face is filled with terror. He acted without thinking and now he's torn about what to do but his sense of duty wins out. "You can't simply swap the ideas to suit what you want! They were set out for the different anniversaries for a purpose!" he protests, his face shiny with seat.

The General reaches for his gun, anger shining out of his eyes, but the Beloved Leader simply laughs calmly, resting a hand on his general's shoulder. He heads to his desk and picks up the envelope labelled '15', making a big show of swapping the cards over. Lukas shakes his head, biting his lip till blood appears. The Leader continues to swap the cards over and then puts all three envelopes back into the box, the ideas swapped to suit him. He locks the box and then turns to his General.

"General Sutekh," the leader finally says. "I think this man has heard too much" he sounds bored. He doesn't say more but the General turns to Lukas, pulling out his gun.

Lukas turns to flee and throws himself against the door, trying in vain to unlock it. Before the General can shoot him, the Leader reacts first. He raises his hand and then Lukas begins to rise off the ground, his face turning purple as he grasps desperately at his throat. He's gasping for breath and then blood begins to seep from his nose and into his open mouth. There's a high-pitched scream and he kicks desperately at the thin air, not sure what's killing him. The leader smirks and his fingers twitch briefly. The mog explodes into ash.

The leader turns away, apparently bored, and heads to the window again. The General swallows nervously and flexes his fingers, putting his gun away. He seems unsure of his leader but stands respectfully, waiting for new orders. The Leader is watching the Training Centre, a cruel smile on his lips. He's holding the box in his hands, his fingers stroking over the Capital's symbol on the lid.

"They need to learn" the Leader finally says, turning to his General. "They must learn that actions have consequences"

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**So, hope you enjoyed! **

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	2. Chapter 1 - New Lives

**Disclaimer - I don't own Lorien Legacies or Hunger Games.**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I didn't expect such a huge response for the first chapter but thank you all so much for the support! I really appreciate it all and thank you!**

**Also, thank you to everyone who says that my writing skills are good. I try my best to be as detailed as possible, because I hate reading stories where there is a lack of detail. I really appreciate the compliments and thank you!**

**Answers to reviews-**

\- **This was a fairly common question, whether the Victory Tour would be in this story and the answer is yes, it will. I think the tour was a really interesting aspect to read about, so I'm going to try and do my best to do it justice.**

**Please read on!**

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Chapter 1 – New Lives

Six Months Later

**Stanley**

I look at the piece of scrap metal in my hands, turning it over and over. I have no idea what the hell it's supposed to be but Sandor seems to think it's important. This is just further proof that he's completely lost it. I move to chuck the thing in the scrap heap but Sandor just happens to shove his way in the door at this very moment, his eyes focusing on the scrap of metal at once.

"Don't you dare," he warns good-naturedly. "That is _important_" he walks forward and takes the thing out of my hands, practically cradling it.

"It's junk" I retort, rolling my eyes and drawing up a plastic chair. I sit down carefully, taking in the garage around me. It's a tip in here but I've grown to love it. It's my retreat from the Training Centre and it means I can actually do something during the day. Also, I get to spend hours with Sandor, which is never boring.

"It won't be when I'm done with it" Sandor turns it over, an awed look on his face. He's covered in grease and oil like me, and he's ditched his suits for overalls. He looks his age for once instead of the older man he looks like when he wears his suits.

We're working in one of the many garages in the Capital, creating pods and other things for the mogs. Normally I would try to avoid anything that would help them but I was so bored in the Training Centre that when Sandor offered for me to come along I leapt at the chance. Besides, Sandor and I have been clever; we've made every weapon with a flaw so that if they were used in the Games, the tributes would be able to defeat them one way or the other. The best thing is, the flaws aren't obvious and can never be traced back to us. Hopefully.

"Give me something to do instead of sitting here and looking pretty," I sigh, running my hands through my hair. I regret it at once though; my hair is covered in grease and oil now. I'll have to shower when we get back.

"If a mog walked in now, he'd wonder whether it's worth paying you for your help" Sandor raises his eyebrow at me. I flip him off, propping my feet up onto some other scrap of metal.

"I could argue that all the work is in my head. I'm thinking up a new creation" I retort. Sandor just snorts, reaching for a tool at his belt and casually adjusting something on the piece of scrap metal. He sighs happily as if something amazing just happened.

"Somehow, I don't see you as a intellectually active person" he teases me. "You're more a physical than academic person" he replies.

"Are you calling me stupid?" I joke. He laughs and shakes his head, getting another tool from his belt. He pulls up another chair, absorbed in his newest development. I can't even be bothered to ask what it is; I'm not that interested in his mad experiments. But I am grateful for them since they've allowed me to escape the Training Centre.

Life has been hell for some of the Victors since the Games. Ella's one of them; she's been locked away in the Centre with Crayton as her only companion since we're not allowed to see the other tributes. She seems to be fine with it, but I would have killed myself by now. Some of the others are allowed out to do other things; Cody always seems to be somewhere he shouldn't be. I don't trust him at all; there's something shifty about him but I don't know what.

I haven't really seen the other Victors since the Games. Sophia has been locked in her room too, under supervision for something that she did, although I have no idea what it is. I've only been able to keep in contact via notes, and I hate that kind of thing. It means that Sandor has pretty much become my lifeline to sanity.

"Your stylist will be coming over this evening" Sandor breaks the comfortable silence. "She needs to measure you for last minute adjustments" he explains. I frown, sitting up straighter on the chair. I knock over the piece of metal I was using for a footstool and Sandor shoots me a half-hearted glare.

"What's that for?" I ask, interested despite myself. Sandor twists something with a tool and there's a sharp ringing sound. I wince and Sandor frowns, quickly making another adjustment. Fortunately, the ringing stops soon after.

"The Victory Tour remember?" he says briefly. I swear under my breath, rubbing my forehead.

The Victory Tour is basically what the name states: the Victors going on a tour of Lorien to celebrate their Victory in the Games. It's either the mogs or the Loric going, depending on who wins, but since we won this year, it'll be the Loric going on the Tour. We'll be stopping off in a few major cities, as well as the cities of some of the Loric Victors if their hometowns are important enough. The thing that bothers me is that we have to make speeches and take part in glamorous ceremonies…which means I have to _dress up._

I know we won't be going to the Loric quarters of the Capital because they're so run down, and besides the finale of the Tour is held in the Capital. But we're still allowed to visit family or have them brought to the Capital for a visit. I have no idea if or when my parents are coming. It's been so long since I've seen them and part of me wants it to stay that way. I was never close with them and I don't want to see what my participation in the Games will have done to them, mentally and physically. I don't want to see their disappointment by my killing.

"When do we set off?" I ask. The thing I miss the least about the Games is the dressing up. No more suits, no more costumes with a terrible theme, no more make up. But it looks like that's all about to change again.

"A few days, a week at most" he replies. "We're going to be given a pack tonight of instructions and places that we'll be visiting…" he snorts. "It's like it's a school trip or something"

I roll my eyes, picking a necklace up with telekinesis. It's the one thing I've actually bothered to make here and it's supposed to be for Ella. It's going to be a locket but it's taking me ages to do, especially because I'm so bad at making things. Fortunately, Sandor is excellent at that kind of thing. He says he's had practice but whenever I ask him about him he goes quiet; I think it's something to do with that girlfriend of his who died.

"I need to finish this" I bring over the rough outline of the necklace. "Ella's birthday is in a few months and it'll take me that long to finish it" I sigh, flipping it over.

It's as ugly as hell right now but hopefully it'll be much prettier once it's her birthday. Sandor puts the scrap of metal down and reaches out for the necklace. I toss it over and he turns it over in his hands, looking down at the necklace as if it's the most fascinating thing he's ever seen.

"It'll be ready," he promises, tossing it back over to me. "I'll help you with it" he smirks. I roll my eyes, running my thumb over the chain.

"Thanks" I say sincerely. "I just…I just want her to be happy. She's had enough shit to deal with at her age. I just want her to have a good birthday"

"And she will" Sandor says kindly. He leans forwards, his hands on his knees. "She _is_ happy now, I've seen her more than you, and she's fine. Crayton's a good guy, he's looking after her well" he reassures me.

I crack a weary smile. "I guess I just see her as my partner still" I admit. "Like she was in Round 2" I shake my head.

"They never tell you this but even though the Games are over they still stay with you" he replies, not very reassuringly. He turns back to the metal on his lap, absorbed once more in his latest invention.

"Tell me about it" I mutter. I look down at the locket in my hand and then slip it into my pocket.

It can wait.

Xxx

**Maren**

I stare at the bowl of soup in front of me, the steam drifting up into the cold air and warming my face. A cold wind blows around me, tearing at my clothes and causing my hair to fly around my head. I raise my hands, warming them slightly on the hot bowl but it's not enough to really help. It's just so bitterly cold.

I focus on the soup again, tapping into my element legacy and willing the liquid in the bowl to part. A small smile forms on my face as the bottom of the bowl appears, the liquid rising on either side like two cliffs of soup over a china valley. I'm delighted at just how easy I find this, like breathing or walking. But even though it's easy, it doesn't mean that I should be doing this. The mogs don't like to see such open displays of legacies. With a sigh, I let the soup fall back down into the bowl and a few drops splash onto my clothes.

"Breaks almost over you know"

I look up to see John walking towards me, a soft smile on his face. I turn away again, lifting the bowl to my lips and taking a drink. It's hot and scalds my tongue, but warmth floods through me all the same.

Like most of the other Victors, John and I have managed to find something to do in our spare time. Marina works in the hospital, Stanley helps his mentor invent things and John and I work in the outskirts of the Capital in the chimaera stables. It's pretty mundane work: feeding them, cleaning their pens and sometimes training them. I hate the job. I don't like the animals; it just reminds me of my past in the woods where I would love to be more than anything.

But it's better to be working outside in the cold than wasting away with boredom inside.

"Maren? Did you hear me?" John takes a seat next to me, swinging his legs over the wall that encloses the compound. We're not really supposed to sit here but no one stops us.

"Yeah" I reply, my breath fogging in the air. "I heard you"

John rubs his hands together, shivering lightly in his thick jacket. Winter has come with a vengeance to the Capital and I'm almost excited for the Victory tour so we can escape to warmer climates. It's so cold here and I almost swear my fingers are in danger of falling off with frostbite.

I look at John out of the corner of my eye, watching as he brushes his blonde hair away from his eyes. He's good-looking, there's no denying that, but he's also unsettling. There's an almost mysterious air around him, as if he's got some hidden power that he doesn't know about. It's odd. But it's also been nice working with him as well. The awkward air that used to exist between the two of us has disappeared, and the more we work together the more I count him as one of my closest and most trusted friends. Maybe even closer than Sam now.

"They want you to muck out the pens of aisle 2," he says, a small smile playing on his lips. He knows that's the aspect of the job I can't stand the most. "I said I'd help," he adds.

I smile, sipping at my soup. "I thought you had the afternoon off. You said you were going to see Sarah?" I ask, intrigued. Their relationship is still a slightly touchy subject with me for some reason, but it's not as bad as it used to be. Probably because I'm finally getting used to the idea.

"I was…but I thought I'd be better here, helping you. I can see Sarah later this evening" he shrugs, a slight blush on his cheeks. Or maybe that's the cold.

"Thanks" I smile gratefully, finishing off the rest of my soup. It's not a lot for a full day's labour, but it's better than the rest of the rubbish they serve here. And I can always count on Katarina to have ordered a huge meal for me when I get back.

"We should probably go. They'll get angry if we're late," he laughs a little, hopping down to the ground. It's a long distance but it's easy for both of us. I chuck him my bowl and then easily scale down in seconds.

"Sarah will be angry when _you're_ late" I joke back, taking the bowl back from him. He rolls his eyes good-naturedly, but he looks slightly annoyed.

"That's what happens when you spend the days cooped up" he shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets. We make our way back to the main building, the smell of the chimaera already starting to waft towards me. I wrinkle my nose, breathing through my mouth instead.

"I thought she was thinking of working with her stylist in one of their workshops?" I reply. Sarah is by no means the next stylist but she's got a good enough eye to be deemed worthy enough to work there and to help with the basic tasks.

"Nope" he shakes his head. "She decided against it when she realised that we'd only see each other at the weekend. Different work hours" he adds when he sees my furrowed brow.

"You'd still each other every week," I point out. That's more than I can say for some of the other Victors who I haven't seen for what feels like months. When we do have the days off, we try to spend it with those who mean the most. Unless you're stuck in the Training Centre of course. Then you have time to do everything.

"That's not enough for her" he replies. We reach the main building and push through the doors. The smell of the animals hits me and I try not to wretch; it's so mouldy and stale compared to the fresh smells of the forest I'm used to. I wish more than anything I could be back there now.

"Or for you?" I point out but it turns into more of a question. John doesn't look bothered; we're too close to be offended by a subject this touchy. Maybe before it would have been weird, but now it just seems natural.

"I don't even know anymore" he sighs. I dump my bowl on an empty table as we make our way towards the pens of aisle 2. It's where the chimaera which prefer to stay in smaller forms are.

"Trouble in Paradise?" I joke, laughing at my own pun. John groans comically and rolls his eyes at me.

"That's dreadful" he shakes his head. "I bet you thought of that ages ago and have been waiting for the right time to use it," he adds. I laugh again, as we reach aisle 2. Oh great, it _stinks_.

"You know me too well" I reply, reaching for my key card so I can enter and clean. John follows me slowly, and his face is more serious than before. Maybe he's thinking about Sarah again. I may have been joking earlier, but they do seem to be more distant from each other lately. John never seems to be so happy when talking about her, but it might just be me overthinking it.

I tend to do that a lot.

Xxx

**Marina**

"You should get some sleep," Nurse Kitri says softly, as I stagger into the rest room where the nurses and doctors gather for their breaks. "You've been working for hours"

I sit down heavily on a chair, rubbing my temples wearily. My head aches, a side effect of all the healing I tend to do, and my body is weary to the point of collapse. I feel like I've been training with Maren all day, instead of healing sick patients. I reach for a nearby cup of tea and a biscuit, wishing more than anything that my shift is over and I can go back to the Training Centre to sleep.

"I can't" I yawn, nibbling on the biscuit. "I have to go to Ward 10 in a few minutes" I sigh. Kitri sits down next to me, adjusting her hat slightly. I hate the things; they pull on your hair and are itchy too, but we have to wear them for hygiene reasons.

"Have there been any developments?" she asks softly, passing me the biscuit box. Along with Kitri, this thing is my best friend in here. It's the only thing that keeps me awake; the sugar works miracles.

"Nothing that will make any significant difference" I reply, stifling another yawn. "But perhaps that's not such a bad thing. They have all of their technology…do they need our legacies too?" I muse, too tired to care about being cautious.

"There can never be too much when it comes to helping people" Kitri replies firmly. I'm too tired to argue so I nod, dropping my head into my hands, exhausted. I reach for another biscuit for more energy.

Ever since the Games ended, I began working as a nurse in the nearby hospital. The mogs saw my healing of Carlotta as rebellious, but their desire for development made them desperate to be able to replicate my healing with their own medicine. I've been working here for the past six months, healing the patients, whilst the mogs strap me to some machine to see how my legacy works. So far they have nothing. I don't care though; it may be an exhausting job, but I love healing people and seeing their joy at being healthy once more.

Kitri gently straightens my collar of the uniform we have to wear, a fond smile on her face. At 30, she's like an older sister to me, one that looks out for me all the time. She's worked here since the Occupation and I know she loves the job as much as I do. She often says that being a nurse is a calling, not a job. Sometimes I wonder if she even notices the mogs and the Occupation because she's so absorbed here at the hospital.

"It's Saturday tomorrow, you can get some rest then" she reassures me, standing up and stretching. She begins to clear the table, her maternal instincts kicking in.

"True" I nod, wincing as the beeper at my belt goes off. Break is over. Kitri's face hardens and her hands clench on the plate she's holding, but she doesn't say anything. Even her protective attitude can't stand up to the mogs.

"I'll see you on Monday. Have a good weekend" I kiss her cheek softly and then leave the break room, checking my watch as I go. Just one more patient and then I can sleep.

It takes me a few minutes to get to Ward 10 as I expertly weave my way around the hospital. I remember the first time I came here with Joseph, trying to save Carlotta as well as running from the mogs. A wistful smile touches my lips as I think of how easy life was back then. If I want to see any of the other Victors now I have to either be accompanied by a mog or get official permission. It seems the mogs don't trust us.

I push through the doors of Ward 10, passing by beds of ill people, groaning in their sleep. I head to bed 10H, knowing this is the worst case in the room. This ward is dedicated to a disease called motor neurone disease, an illness that breaks down the brain over the course of a few years so their body falls into disrepair. It's horrendous yet so easy to heal. It's one of the reasons that I was glad the mogs wanted me to work here.

"Nurse Marina" a mog nods his head respectively as I enter the curtained area, pulling the material shut behind me. Another mog is setting up the weird machine they attach to me, his face twisted up in concentration. I ignore both mogs and focus on the patient on the bed.

I know from his records that it's a middle-aged man, but he looks so much older than his real age. His hair is greying and his face has a funny yellowish tint to it, a side effect of the disease. His hands are shaking and his eyes are unfocused, as they flutter around the room, apparently unsure of where he is. Sympathy floods through me and I eagerly take my seat by the bed. I'm barely aware of the usual electrodes that the mog fastens onto my hands and temples. He presses a few buttons the machines and they whirr to life, a low humming filling the air. The mog stares intently at the screen, apparently fascinated.

"We're ready when you are" he whispers, his voice filled with respect.

I focus on my healing, the legacy activating almost at once at my command. I've practiced so frequently with it that it takes barely any effort for me to summon it. Adelina was right in one of her mentor moments: a legacy is like a muscle and the more you practice, the better it becomes.

The healing floods through me, the icy feeling barely affecting me now, and then it flows through me and into the man on the bed. He jumps at the feeling of my legacy but soon relaxes back onto the sheets, the legacy flooding to his brain. I can feel the legacy repairing the dying brain cells, and bringing back to life the dead ones. His disease crumbles under the relentless force of my legacy; it doesn't even take that long. The man on the bed shudders as the illness lets go of its evil hold on his body.

I withdraw my legacy, the room coming back into focus. The mogs are peering at the machines, frowns on their faces, but my attention is on the patient. He's opening his eyes weakly, his face and skin more youthful than before. He looks _well. _I feel a rush of maternal care towards him, always a side effect of the healing. I feel an instinctive urge to take care of the people I heal, even though they're often in a better state than I am. I try to ignore my dizziness and instead move to take care of him.

"Here" my hand shakes as I pass the man a glass of water. He downs it quickly, his eyes widening with joy and disbelief at his easy ability to sit up in bed and drink the water. I feel a pleased smile make its way onto my face; it's always rewarding to see someone when they've just been cured.

"Anything?" I turn to the mogs, interested despite myself. They shake their heads, their lips pursed. They don't even seem to care about the healed man on the bed in front of them.

I turn away from them, sinking back into the chair. My healing has reached its limit and I can feel a funny burning in my chest, signalling that I've done too much today. But despite the weariness, I'm happy that I'm finding it so easy to heal people now. It used to be so hard; Carlotta nearly died when I cured her but now I can easily heal someone without any dangerous side effects.

"You saved me" the man looks up from examining his hands, his face filled with wonder when he sees me. "You saved me" he reaches out for me, his hand locking around my wrist almost reverently. Tears fill his eyes. "Thank you…thank you so much"

"Are we done in here?" Nurse Madeline, the nurse for this ward, enters the curtained area. She knows the protocol enough by now to deal with the patients that I've healed and she gently removes the man's hand from my wrist.

"He needs sleep" I say softly. "And food. He'll still be weak from the disease" I stand up, the world spinning around me. Madeline looks at me with a raised eyebrow, her eyes less kind as she regards me. Some of the nurses don't like me here; they think I'm trying to steal their jobs.

"But didn't you heal it all?" she purses her lips. I nod, my hand discretely holding onto the chair behind me. I lean on it more than I should.

"Yes, but it'll still have an effect on him" I explain. The nurse shrugs as she gently helps the patient settle back down in bed, tucking him in. I can tell that the mogs and I aren't welcome here anymore.

"Perhaps you should get some rest yourself," she adds in a kinder tone. "You don't look so good". I chew on my lip, watching as the mogs pack the machine up, treating it with more care than they would with one of the patients here. We leave the curtained area quickly, aware of Madeline's cold glare.

"Maybe the problem is that she's healing them too quickly" one mog begins but the other cuts in at once, arguing. I zone them out, not focused on their talking. I don't care about that machine and their technology. As long as I'm healing and helping, then I don't care about the mogs.

Xxx

"How was the hospital?" Hector asks as I trudge into my apartment in the Victor's section of the Training Centre. I yawn, shattered beyond belief. Thank god it's the weekend.

"The mogs didn't discover anything" I reply. "But I saved five people today so I count it as a good day" I continue. Hector smiles, putting his cup of tea down. I'm pleased to note that there aren't any bottles of alcohol littered around. He promised never to drink once I'd saved Carlotta and he's kept to his promise and hasn't drunk a tip of alcohol since.

"Have you eaten?" he asks, acting the role of concerned mentor. Someone has to. I haven't seen Adelina for ages; she often just disappears and then reappears with no word of explanation, as if nothing happened.

"Yes, on the way back" I roll my eyes. Hector seems to think that I'm starving myself when it's the complete opposite. He grins and then pulls out a small envelope, winking at me. My cheeks heat up and my heart jumps a little in my chest.

"Reynolds dropped this off" he holds it out for me and I try not to act too eager as I take it from his hand. I know it doesn't work because I can see his teasing grin.

"Second one this week. Someone's keen" he winks as my cheeks heat up to a bright red. I mutter something incoherent and quickly head to my room, not wanting to read this in front of Hector. There'll be no end of teasing. I shut my door and then quickly rip into the envelope, desperate to see what it says.

Since we're not really allowed to see other Victors for some reason, most likely the mogs' paranoia, we have only been able to communicate via letters. I started off with Ella since I wanted to make sure she was coping but when I realised how effective the letters were, I sent a few out to the others and then we all started the practice. But it's the ones from Joseph that I look forward to the most because of my feelings towards him. They haven't faded in the past six months; in fact I think they've grown, despite rarely seeing him. Perhaps it's because in the letters we can be bolder and say things that we might not have said face to face.

I head to my bed, unfolding the letter as my heart beats a little faster than it should in my chest. I wonder what he's going to say this time, whether he's going to say how much he misses me, or something just as soppy, which is ridiculous seeing as these are really letters between friends, not love letters. But then this is the only time when I actually feel like a girl my age. My eyes scan over the page, disappointed at the size of the letter until I see the words. A grin forms on my face.

_Meet me tomorrow on the roof at 6am. I think it's time we went out to explore the city, don't you? Joseph_

* * *

**So, hope you all enjoyed! Don't worry, the 'peace' won't be lasting for very long, so some action/drama will soon be coming :D**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Together Again

**Hi guys! **

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews, I really appreciate them all! I love hearing all your thoughts about the story so thank you!**

**Sorry for the late update, I've got a huge amount of work at the moment, so I'm finding it hard to balance work and writing at the moment. I should still be able to update weekly however, so no worries :D**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2 – Together Again

**Marina**

It's going to be a cold day, I can tell that the minute I step onto the roof. I shudder at once, pulling my coat tighter around my body, the cold freezing my cheeks and hands instantly. On top of the cold, the rain falls on my hair, drenching me in minutes. I'm almost tempted to turn around and leave, but I'm too excited to see Joseph. Besides, it's also the first time since the Games that I've left the Training Centre without permission, and I want to explore the city.

I look around, my hair playing slightly in the wind, but Joseph's not here yet. I sit down on a bench, huddling in my jacket. I'm exhausted, I didn't get enough sleep last night from excitement, and I still feel drained from healing all week. I feel worse and worse with every week that passes; yet the work is relentless. I wonder if Adelina's right; one day, I just won't be able to take the strain anymore.

There's a sound by the door and I turn but nothing's there. I shake my head and turn back to face the Capital, when there's a sudden movement and then Joseph's in front of me. Before I can grin, or say anything, he's captured me up in his arms in a tight hug. I laugh, wrapping my arms tightly around him in return, emotion welling up in me. I have tears in my eyes.

"It's been so long!" Joseph exclaims, his cheek pressed against the top of my head. I smile, snuggling into his embrace. I've missed him so much. I've missed _everyone_ so much.

We stand in our embrace for a few moments and then Joseph pulls back, studying me closely. He looks more serious, as his eyes run over my face, and I realise that I'm doing the same to him. He hasn't changed at all, which relieves me immensely. I don't know what I would do if the boy in front of me was a different one from the one I got to know.

"You look exhausted," he finally says. "Are you sure you want to go out today? We could stay in or something?" he offers, looking concerned. I'm touched, but I don't think I could give up an opportunity like this.

"No way" I shake my head. "I want to go, and besides, if I'm going to see the city for the first time, I'd like it to be with you" I say softly, shyly. Joseph grins; looking pleased, and then reaches out taking my hand. It's just like old times.

And for the first time in a while, I feel hopeful for the future.

Xxx

I slip my hand into the crook of Joseph's elbow, moving closer to him as the crowds surge around us. We're in the market place of the Capital and it's heaving today. I knew it was going to be busy, but I never thought there would be this many people. I was very wrong.

"Crazy, isn't it?" Joseph grins down at me, his eyes shining with excitement. I nod, moving out of the way of a particularly aggressive looking female shopper. I don't want to get crushed by the crowd.

"It reminds me of my hometown," I say wistfully, looking around at all the people. "We used to have a market…well it's probably still there now" I sigh. "It was never as busy as this though," I add ruefully.

Joseph looks down at me, his face unreadable. "Do you miss it?" he asks gently. It's not like him to be serious, but today it feels like we've been a lot more thoughtful than before. Maybe because things have changed so much that there's nothing to joke about anymore.

"Yes…no…I don't know!" I say, exasperated with my own feelings. "I hated it: the orphanage, the people that worked there…but it was still my home" I sigh, my eyes landing on a nearby stall. Joseph doesn't say anything; he seems to understand that there's nothing more I can say about the matter.

We wander around for a few more minutes, looking around with interest. There are stalls piled high with food: cheese, bread, anything that you could think of really. There are also jewellery and crafts stalls that interest me more, but it's a stall with leather notebooks, which really catches my interest. I used to have one back at the orphanage for my drawings, but I couldn't bring it with me for the Games. I think I must have a longing look on my face, because Joseph leads me over there at once, a grin on his face.

"For your drawings?" he asks, as we approach the stall. It's emptier than most others, and when I see the prices, I understand.

"Yeah" I nod. "I haven't done any in ages" I sigh in longing. "I wish I had the time, but I seem to either be sleeping or working," I laugh. Joseph grins, and then turns back to the stall. The owner gives us a disinterested look, not recognising us apparently, and then turns back to his communicator in his hands.

"Everything here is 100 mog pieces," he drawls without looking up once. My mouth drops open at the price and even Joseph looks shocked.

"But that's ridiculous! They're only notebooks" he protests. My thoughts of owning one of them disappear at once. They're beautiful, with the wonderful designs on the front, but I simply don't have the money.

"130 for that comment" the mog replies. I shoot a glare at him, tugging at Joseph's arm.

"Come on, let's go, it's not worth it," I tell him. He nods, looking annoyed, but turns away all the same.

"Seems that whilst we've been cooped up everything's stayed the same" he shakes his head angrily. "Such a rip off" I simply laugh, trying to diffuse the tension. I don't like Joseph being angry; it doesn't feel right.

"What have you been doing now that the Games are over?" I ask him interested. He doesn't really tell me much of what he's been doing so I've just assumed he doesn't have a job like I do.

"Training with Reynolds," he replies, a grin playing on his lips. "We've been practising with my legacies and my fighting skills too," he elaborates. "It's been pretty fun" he shrugs.

I nod along, my thoughts turning back to my earlier conversation. "Do you ever miss it? Your home?" I ask softly. His face turns serious, and I wish for a moment that I hadn't asked him that. Of course he misses it. Of course he wishes more than anything he could be back there.

"No" he finally says, the two of us standing in the middle of the street, the crowd parting around us. I'm barely aware of the annoyed mogs. "I loved it…but I prefer my life here. Mainly because of the people" he says slowly. My cheeks warm up slightly, and I look shyly down at the floor, embarrassed slightly. I know without him saying anything that he's talking about me.

"I'm glad we were all chosen," I say softly. Joseph's face turns puzzled and I blush heavily. "Because we survived of course. Not because of the deaths" I add quickly. He grins and then the conversation turns light once more, like it always did.

"Me too" he replies, his eyes landing on a nearby stall. They widen and he looks horrified, as if his worst nightmare has come true. I quickly follow his gaze, wondering what's wrong with him, but all I can see is a hotdog stall. I look around, confused; what's up with Joseph?

"That's monstrous," he whispers as he watches a mog take the huge hotdog, piled high with onions and tomatoes. "Why would you eat that?" I begin to giggle when I realise he _was_ looking at the hotdog stall, and my giggle turns to proper laughter when my stomach rumbles.

"I think it looks all right" I tease him. He shoots me a look of disgust, but I can tell he's joking. I think. I _hope. _

"Well, if it's that monstrosity that you want, then I'll get it for you" he strides towards the stall, a grin on his face. "You deserve it"

Before he can go any further, I drag him back, puzzled by his comment and because I definitely don't want that hotdog. I was only winding him up; it looks disgusting and I'd rather have pizza any day.

"Change your mind?" he grins.

"For what? Why do I deserve it?" I ask puzzled. "I haven't done anything. I'm nothing special" I shrug. Joseph smiles gently, a fond look in his eyes.

"For saving all those people at the hospital," he says earnestly. "It's an amazing thing you're doing…and you don't get anything for it" he takes my hand, his skin warm on mine.

"I don't need rewards" I say honestly. "It's good enough seeing people happy once they're better"

"I know," he says softly. "And that makes you so special. But all the same, I'd like to get you something. Even if it's just that awful hotdog," he jokes. I laugh, squeezing my hand in his. I tug him gently so we start walking again, meandering amongst the bustling crowd. Our hands are still linked and I'm definitely not going to pull away.

"In that case, I definitely don't want that hotdog" I grin. "It looks pretty bad" Joseph looks slightly smug but doesn't say anything about me admitting he's right.

"Then what do you want. Pizza?" he grins, spotting a nearby stall. I nod at once, my stomach rumbling once more. I nod eagerly, and he laughs, leading us towards the stall.

"We'll always have pizza"

Xxx

**Cody**

I fidget in my uniform, the collar cutting into my throat. The material is itchy too, and I shift again, a scowl on my face. The room is hot and I can feel a few drops of sweat gathering on my brow, which I wipe away irritably. Deltoch still isn't here and I've been waiting half an hour.

I sigh as I look around the room, taking in the locked windows and the monitors on the wall. But it's the steadily moving clock on the wall that really catches my attention. I've been here for ages and I have other work to do. I've been working on surveillance, which is boring as hell, but it's better than waiting for an annoying Mog commander who thinks he's better than me.

The door opens and I stand up automatically, respectfully, as Deltoch enters. A smaller mog follows him, dressed in the subtle uniform of a technician. The mog nods to me, scampering over to the monitors where he presses a few buttons. I can't be bothered to waste my attention on him and I turn to Deltoch instead.

"You're late" I scowl. "I've been waiting a while" A few months ago, I would never have said that to him, but with all of my training with the mogs, my status has grown. Most mogs here fear me, apart from the Generals and Commanders of course, and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't enjoying it.

"I had work to do," he snaps back, his eyes flaring in disapproval. I simply scowl and look away, my eyes flickering to the monitor. It's starting to come to life, although it's not obvious what's on the screen yet.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I ask shortly. I've still not completely forgiven him for making me kill Albert, even if his training has helped me with status and respect.

"We had something to show you. The Beloved Leader needed you to see this"

I stop my mouth form falling open in shock, but it's hard. The Beloved Leader? Despite the unusual circumstance of my service towards the mogs, I've still never met the Leader. The fact that he's ordering Deltoch to show me something means that it must be important. I'm both staggered and proud; this must mean that in no time I'll have my own district to control.

"What did he want me to see?" I ask eagerly, straightening up. Deltoch's mouth sneers in disgust but he turns to the monitor without saying anything to me. The screens are black and the mog attendant presses a few buttons, his lips pursed.

"The video is ready whenever you need is to be, sir" he says softly. Deltoch's nostrils flare in anger, and his eyes turn even blacker.

"We're ready now," he snaps. The mog cowers, his face paling, and he hurriedly presses a few buttons swiftly. The room turns black and then the screen comes to life.

The screen is on fire. Or the buildings in the video are on fire. I can barely see the symbol of the Capital through the flames on the screen; it's like an inferno right here in the room. I hear screaming, and shouting; yells of rage and hatred in the air as the fire spreads throughout the square of buildings. I watch, confused and unnerved, as people throw objects against buildings, their faces twisted up in hatred. I suck a breath in as I watch a mog clubbed to death, a crowd of men jumping onto him, pounding into the mog with their fists.

"What is this?" I ask, horrified. Deltoch's face is calm, his face cast in shadow. He doesn't seem to be bothered by the footage.

"This is Mort, the district furthest away from the Capital," he says calmly. "The people there are attempting to rebel"

I watch in horror as guns are pulled out, the mogs shooting the Loric. There are more screams, and then I hear the dreaded drone of a helicopter. The Loric protestors seem to realise this and begin to back off, the mogs marching towards them with the guns. I hear more shooting.

"Why?" I ask, trying to remain contained. Deltoch won't expect me to be shocked or shaken; he wants me to act how his soldiers will act. He wants me to remain calm, and if I need to continue to prove myself, then I have to act normal.

"They do not agree with the regime" he replies, making a small hand gesture. The mog attendant quickly switches the monitors off and the lights come back on in the room. I blink hastily, the images of the dead Loric and mogs still in my mind.

"They are trying to take control of Mort, but it is not working" Deltoch sneers. His face shows just how little he thinks of those trying to rebel.

"Then what's the problem?" I mutter, not understanding the issue. Deltoch crosses his arms, facing me fully. His face is filled with disgust and I can only hope it's directed towards the Loric rebelling, and not me.

"We don't want this behaviour to spread. Mort is nothing, but there are bigger cities nearby. Bigger and more influential cities. We _cannot_ allow them to be infected by this _disease" _he replies, his voice tightly controlled.

"So?" I add, but Deltoch doesn't seem to care about my insolence. He's watching as the mog attendant swiftly shuts down the monitors, his fingers swiping quickly over the touchscreen. The mog looks like he's doing everything he can to remain as invisible as possible.

"You will be on the Victory Tour soon with your other Victors" Deltoch begins. "You will try to contain this rebellion. You will show that the mogs have the ultimate control. That any attempt at rebellion will not only be diverted but destroyed. You will show the Loric that by siding with the mogs, you will be rewarded," he explains.

My face falls, and my heartbeat stutters. This is not an easy task, not at all. Not with the other Victors who seem so keen to do anything to annoy the mogs. Not when there are apparently many Loric who are passionate about rebelling. What Deltoch is asking is one of the hardest things I've had to do. Even harder than killing Albert.

"But how?" I protest. Deltoch turns to go, apparently bored now that this conversation is over. As if there isn't a lot at stake with my task. As if we're not talking about a rebellion. As if we're not talking about the hardest task of my career so far.

"I don't know" he chuckles harshly. "That's for you to decide" he unlocks the door and opens it. Before he leaves, he turns to face me, and in his eyes is a hatred so cold that it chills me to the bone.

"Do _not_ fail," he says softly. Somehow, that's scarier than shouting. "If you do, you will not appreciate the consequences"

He leaves, the door slamming shut behind me with a slam, and I jump. My heart is pounding in my chest, and only now am I aware of the sweat dripping down my forehead. I wipe it away, not shocked to see my hand shaking. I have absolutely no doubt that Deltoch and the other Generals and Commanders will keep to their promise. I have no doubt that if I fail, I will suffer.

I shudder again, my heart still thudding rapidly. I can still picture the burning buildings in my find; still hear the angry shouting of the Loric. This task is going to fail; I can feel it. I'll never be able to diffuse anger that strong, never be able to control the Loric like the mogs can.

"Good luck sir" the mog attendant hurries past me, still pale. He quickly leaves, switching the lights off automatically and not even seeming to care about me. Guess everyone feels that way.

"Thanks" I mutter, watching as the lights fade in the room. "I'm going to need it"

Xxx

**Sophia**

I flip through the small history book in front of me, the words familiar to me by now. How many times have I read this forbidden book in the last six months? 50 times? 100 times? Enough times that I know the history off by heart, as well as the names and roles of each Elder.

I've added to the book as well. I've written about how, during the Month of the Pearl Moon of 2700, the Elders who had been in charge when Decimus tried to take over Lorien, decided to choose their new Elders. I've described how, on that very day, the Mogadorians attacked. How the sky turned red with the fires that consumed the cities. How the air was filled with the screams of dying men, women, children and chimaera.

There's still a gaping gap obviously. I'll never know for sure who Setrakus Ra is, I mean seriously, where the hell did he come from? He wasn't the leader of the Mogadorians the last time communications between the Loric and mogs took place before the Occupation. I can't help but think he must have something to do with the Decimus' mysterious family, who disappeared without a trace. But any link I have between them is a fragile as glass.

I shut the book, scowling, as I roll over and look at my ceiling. Months of reading the same thing are turning me insane. It's the same thing every time: Decimus thrown out of the Elders' seat of power, disappearing for 50 years, coming back a monster and then fighting Pittacus resulting in their deaths. The remaining Elders ruling, and then, the next century, the mogs attack and take over with Setrakus Ra in charge.

"Who the hell is Setrakus?" I growl, knotting my hands in my hair, as if that'll give me the answer. "And why did they decide to attack _50 years later?!"_

"Sophia?" the door opens and Marzia peers through. I sigh, and shove the book under my covers with telekinesis. She has no idea about the forbidden book; if she knew, she would be a good little mog citizen and report it right away. And I would be in a huge amount of trouble.

"Yeah?" I grumble, sitting up. I've tried quizzing her for information, but she doesn't know anything, much to my annoyance. She's as ignorant as I am.

"There's a visitor for you" she smiles sweetly, and then shuts my door again. I quickly sit up, not wanting whoever is here to come into my room. It's a mess, but moreover, the book could still be found.

I quickly step outside, after shoving my feet into my ratty trainers. My hair hangs in a mess around my face, and I'm aware of how grubby I look. I can only imagine how terrible I look right now. But I can't find it in me to care as I shut my bedroom door behind me, turning to see who my visitor is.

My heart stops when I see who it is. The memories swarm my mind, rising up and destroying the mental walls that I created to keep me whole.

"Marcus" I whisper, feeling numb.

My fellow Victor nods.

We had been close enough in the Games, as we'd been partners in Round 2 and basically Round 3, when we'd fought together to survive. I remember Marcus taking a dagger in his arm that would have hit my heart. I remember shooting a mog in the forehead that would have sunk his sword into Marcus' stomach. I remember both of us standing at the end of the Games, being granted clemency out of _mercy_. We were exhausted, covered in blood and ash, with the bodies of the other Loric around us, and we were granted _mercy_.

The last time I saw my fellow Victor was the day after Round 3. They were dragging him down the hallway, huge bloody scratches down his face that he had caused himself. His fingernails were bloody and he was screaming, this inhumane animal sound. He was weak, but the worst thing was the awful dead look in his eyes. He had looked right at me and screamed my name, begging for my help. But before I could do anything I was dragged inside, and told never to talk about what I had just seen.

His scream haunted my dreams for months.

They say Marcus had had a nightmare about the Loric who had been killed. He'd always been the gentlest out of the two of us. He had shut the eyes of all the dead Loric, right in front of the mogs, out of respect to the dead. He wasn't made to fight, to _kill_, like I was. But in the nightmare, _he_ had been a mutt that had killed his fellow Loric tributes and _he_ had _enjoyed _it. When he woke up he was mad with grief and anger, and tried to kill himself. The mogs had come in time to stop him. They had taken him away, and locked him in a hospital room, and then his therapy started.

He looks so much better now. He's put on weight and muscle, and stands straight, proud yet humble too. His face bears faint scars of the scratches that had once been bleeding, but there's a smile on his face now; he's actually become quite good-looking. His hair has been combed out, and his clothes are crisp and clean. But the best things are his eyes; they're alive and twinkling, as he watches me take him in.

"I thought they killed you," I whisper, not sure what else to say. He laughs, a sad sound, and then moves forward towards me, slowly. As if he's unsure of how I'll react.

It strikes me then, that _I'm _the unstable one now. He's been helped, been healed with the best councillors in the whole of Lorien, and he's as sane as any Victor can ever be. I've been left with my nightmares, as well as with the mogs, and I'm the one who needs healing. I feel tears in my eyes at this revelation. I've always thought of myself as strong, but now I'm vulnerable.

Marcus doesn't say anything but he catches me up into his arms, burying his face in my hair, as if he could read _my_ mind. I cling to him, and then I start crying, huge heaving sobs that makes my chest ache. I haven't cried in years, but I do now. The Loric who died, not only in my Games, but also in the recent ones, coming flooding back in my mind and I cling to him, sobbing, as if he'll get rid of them for me.

It takes a good five minutes for me to calm down, and I only come back to awareness when he sits me down on the sofa, pressing a glass of water into my hands. Marzia is long gone, for which I'm grateful. My hands are shaking as I stare at the water, the surface rippling slightly. Marcus has brought back every memory, every ounce of pain that I thought I'd forgotten and I hate it. I hate it, but love seeing him. I thought I would never see him again, that I would be alone forever.

"How are you doing?" I ask, my voice husky from tears. I watch him swallow, his eyes filled with tears too. It seems this reunion was hard for both of us.

"Much better" he admits softly. "It was hard at the beginning" he shakes his head, his eyes looking haunted. "But you won't want to know about that"

A good person would shake their head and say they don't care, that if he wants to talk then they would listen. A good person would take a hold of his hand and say that they would never judge him for breaking when there was so much to break over. A good person would hold him closer and never let go.

But I am not a good person.

"I'm sorry" I reply. He watches me as I take a long drink, downing the water in one. "I'm sorry I never helped," I whisper. Marcus takes a hold of my hand, and a lump forms in my throat. Here is a good person. I should take pointers from him.

"You couldn't have done anything" he soothes me. "They were doing the best thing anyway. I would have killed myself if I'd stayed here. But in there…" he trails off, his face turning distant. "In there, I became myself again. I'm human again now" he smiles serenely and I wish I could be more like him.

"Do you still have nightmares?" I ask numbly. I feel like I've lost control of everything in my life now, and I will never have it back.

"Of course" Marcus' face is still open, still relieved, but there's darkness in his eyes. "But they're not as bad now. And I know that with every death, there is also new life too. The mogs taught me that…they showed it to me" I can only imagine what they showed him to convince him of their goodness. But one month here and he'll forget all of that, I'm sure.

"I still dream of her…Anya" I whisper, wishing he would remember the truth. "I see her every night. I still hear her screams" a tear runs down my cheek, and he reaches out, brushing it away. He looks at me concerned, his eyes troubled.

"They should have taken you away too. You could do with help" he doesn't mean it maliciously, and I'm not offended. He's right of course. I could have done with the help. Because the grief and guilt of Anya's death, as well as the death of every other Loric in those Games has long added to my hatred and anger and bitterness.

"It doesn't matter" I smile at him sadly. "Now that you're here, it doesn't matter" I squeeze his hand. "Are you staying for good?"

He nods, a smile lighting up his face. It reminds me of how things used to be, before he went mad, and I become a monster. Maybe things will return to normal between us. I'll never be the same, and neither will he, but we've got each other now. I've finally got someone who will understand me. The other Victors, they have each other from their own Games.

And now, finally, I do too.

"I'm staying" he nods, pulling me in for another hug. I melt into his arms, feeling more tears build up behind my eyes. "I'm staying for good" I smile, as he buries his face in my hair like he used to, and I close my eyes.

I don't think I'll ever let go of him.

* * *

**Before you ask, there is no romantic interest for either Marcus or Sophia. They are just two survivors from the same Games, who were close when they were going on. It's a more a brother/sister kind of thing.**

**Hope you enjoyed and please review!**


	4. Chapter 3 - Danger

**Hi guys!**

**I'm sorry for the late update! My updating schedule does plan on being every Saturday but last weekend was so hectic. It's nearing the end of term at Uni so I have a ton of deadlines and assessments due in, so I'm very stressed at the moment. Next Saturday I'll be heading home but there should be an update on the day.**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I can't believe how many there are so far and I want to say a huge thank you to every single one of you. It's lovely to see the reviews and I really appreciate them.**

**Answers to reviews-**

\- **Adam and Ivan are alive because Setrakus Ra granted them clemency. In Round 3, if he decides he wants some members of the losing side to win, then he can grant them clemency. That's also the only reason Sophia and Marcus are alive because they were losing in their Games.**

\- **To be honest, I'm not sure what I would call the series as a whole…any suggestions? :D**

\- **The POVs are mostly staying the same, although I may throw in a few extra ones, like Ella.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3 – Danger

**Adam**

_Work is the epitome of duty. _

I roll my eyes at the latest 'inspirational' quote that is on the board today. As if it'll make any difference amongst the ranks in this place. Every mog here is desperate to serve Setrakus Ra; one quote will not make any difference.

"I preferred yesterday's" Hannah lounges on the table in front of me, her body passing through the monitors on either side of mine. "It was way cooler, even for mogs," she adds. I don't reply, I just continue to type away at my computer. I need to do well today, after my poor performance yesterday.

Working in IT surveillance is harder than you'd think. You have to constantly be alert as you look at every new feed that mogs from all over Lorien send us. We have to decide whether something is worth monitoring, or whether the mogs are overreacting. It's tireless and repetitive work, and it gives me a headache. To make matters worse, there's a performance board, which ranks all 300 workers in the room. If you're in the last 50, you're in danger of losing your job.

But it's worse for me. As a General's son, I'm expected to be in the top 50, if not top 10. I'm barely scraping 49 and I know that will disappoint my father. Even now, after six months, he's watching me and is desperate for a chance to disown me. I know that I venture below 100, I can count myself as dead.

Thank god for Hannah then.

Even in her weird, ghost-like form, she's a genius. She's able to flick through the reports as quickly as I can, helping me decide whether they're worth monitoring or not. It's a hard job for her; she wants to save her race, but knows that if she screws something up for me, then both she and I are dead. So she pushes through the pain and continues to help me.

"I wonder if we'll see anything about Ivan" Hannah murmurs, playing with her blonde hair. I try to ignore the way it seems to shine like gold.

Ivan was promoted within just a day of his new job. He's simply too good for Training Master of tributes, and instead, has been made a Lieutenant in the Scouts. It's not the best of positions, but I'm sure he'll work his way up. Right now, he's most likely to be in one of the major cities in Lorien, enforcing the law, but I'm not entirely sure. My father refuses to tell me anything about his favourite son.

_Probably not_ I finally get around to replying to Hannah. I have a special way of communicating with her in my mind, because otherwise the mogs will think I'm insane if I talk out loud. That wouldn't bother me, if not for the fact that my father would find out, and there would be some pretty horrible consequences. _He'll just be drinking and playing cards._

Hannah snorts. "Probably" she shakes her head in disgust. It's weird, but when she talks, it's like she is talking out loud. But I know that's not the case because no one else can see or hear her. She's just in my mind, for some weird, twisted reason.

She explained it to me once I'd fully recovered from Round 3. It was a side effect of her legacy to be able to be connect with my mind and once she'd realised she was about to do, she'd pushed every last bit of energy into bonding with me. She said it was a survival instinct, but part of me wonders if there's more to her story. Unfortunately, even though she can read my mind easily, there are parts of hers that she blocks off from me so I can't tell why she really did that.

Shaking my head to focus, I click on the next report, my eyes skimming over the page for the most important details. A Loric boy stealing bread for his starving family. Held in custody for a night and then released. Found the next day, stealing some fruit. Held in custody once more. Act of resistance?

Hannah grits her teeth angrily. "No way" she mutters. "That's just desperation"

I nod absentmindedly, not even caring about whether I look stupid by doing that in front of the other mogs. I move the report to the discard file and move onto the next one, my eyes aching from the strain of looking at a computer all day. Next to me, Hannah peers closer, her eyes skimming over the report of a man punching a mog in anger.

"No way" she shakes her head again. "No resistance" Her pretty hands curl into fists, and her eyes are hard. I move the report to the discard pile and then move on.

Hours later, and I'm almost done for the day. Only one more report to go and then I'm done. I eagerly click on the next link, feeling pretty excited to go home. It means I can eat, take a long, hot shower and then sleep. No more screens to look at, no more annoying mogs to talk to. Not even my father's constantly angry presence can dampen my mood anymore.

The next report comes up, but it's a video. I'm still not that interested, despite the novelty of it, focusing more on the way Hannah is napping next to me, curled up like a cat. Her face is peaceful, beautiful, and her lips are slightly parted in a smile. I want to reach out and take her hand and-

There's a loud burst of noise from my monitor; the video has finally loaded. The screen is on fire. Or the buildings in the video are on fire. I can barely make out the Council building on the screen, let alone the symbol of the Capital through the flames; it's like an inferno right here in the room. I hear screaming, and shouting, yells of rage and hatred as the fire spreads throughout the square of buildings. I watch, confused and unnerved, as people throw objects against buildings, their faces twisted up in hatred. I watch as armed mogs move hastily throughout the crowd, some killing, others being killed.

"What is going on Surveyor Adam?!" the booming voice of Head Surveyor Bates makes me jump out of my skin as he marches over, face twisted in a scowl. If there's one thing he doesn't like, it's disturbance. I quickly pause the video, my hands shaking. My heart is hammering in my chest. I've never seen such rage and hatred before from the Loric.

Next to me, Hannah is sitting upright, her face alert. There's a small grin on her face.

"It…it was a report" I stammer. I'm barely aware of the mogs around me, watching in confusion. There have never been reports like the one I've just seen. That…that was a _riot_. There's _never_ been a riot before.

Surveyor Bates leans down, his eyes flickering over the screen. His face becomes more and more serious as he reads the small report underneath, his face practically as cold as ice by the time he leans back. He's always been scary, but this…this is on a whole new level.

"Report that to the Scouts" he finally says.

I suck in a breath. The Scouts, the organisation Ivan is a part of, are terrifying. They are enlisted to go into cities where there are murderers or terrorists (or rebellions), and they destroy whatever is going on. They are literally the best of the best, and are only the last minute resort. The only time they've all been used in the past was to demolish to small district of Schwyz after a small uprising; the area has been known as Death Valley ever since. Things must be bad if Head Surveyor Bates is telling me to pass this report onto them.

"Yes sir" I nod, my hands still shaking. I do as he says, aware of my boss watching me closely. "How shall I mark it as? Important or top secret?" I ask, just before sending it. Bates gives me a withering look as he straightens up, disgust in his eyes.

"What do you think?" he mutters. I nod, my face flushing in shame, as I mark it as top secret. The report disappears; winging it's way to Scout headquarters as we speak.

Hannah watches me the whole time. She's smiling.

Xxx

"This, this is _big_" Hannah has not stopped talking as we walk back home after the day. Surveyor Bates sent us home immediately after my report, although he wouldn't say why. Something tells me he's gone to talk to someone important.

"Of course it is. The Scouts are getting involved" I sigh wearily. "But it doesn't mean _I_ can do anything" I shrug.

"Sure it does" Hannah tosses her hair back. "There's plenty you can do. Stop reporting things that could be seen as rebellious for one". A light rain begins to fall from the sky and I pull my hood up, peering into the gloom. I'll be home in five minutes, thank god.

"Oh yeah, that's a plan" I reply sarcastically. I'm in a bad mood, annoyed with the mogs, the Loric…everyone. "So when the supervisors decide to check that we're doing the job properly they're going to see a whole load of important things in the discard pile. Makes sense Hannah" I shake my head.

"Don't get angry with me just because you're scared about your precious little world being ruined" Hannah retorts, her eyes narrowed. "It's not me you're angry with"

I sigh, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "I just…what can I do?" I ignore the looks from a nearby passer by, not caring about talking out loud in public, especially when there aren't many people around. "I'm just an IT guy! Nothing important!"

I trudge along miserably, wishing that this day could end and I could forget everything. Sometimes, I wish that I had never been a part of the Games, and that I'd never met Hannah, despite how amazing she is. Sometimes I wish that this was all just a bad dream. Hannah watches me carefully, biting on her lip.

"Well" she finally says. "Become someone important"

I snort at once. "Who? _How_?" I shake my head. She just doesn't get it.

"Sure I do!" Hannah snaps. Sometimes I forget she can read my mind too. "A Gamemaker dropped out this year because of health issues. They want another one, one with a smart mind. You've got a great record: a General's son, Former Tribute of the Games (even though the Loric technically beat your ass, but your people always forget that), and now one of the best IT surveyors. They'll definitely interview you, if not choose you," she says excitedly.

I stare at her, dumbfounded. She's right of course, but I don't think she realises how angry my father will be. He'd never let me apply to be a Gamemaker; he's just see it as another tactic to kill more mogs and help the Loric…which it would be. But my mother…I begin to smile as I think of my mother's pride. She would see me as improving the family name, and so would my little sister Kelly. Even Ivan would be happy, as long as he's the better one.

"You don't understand, it's hard to become a Gamemaker," I say. "You have to go through tests and everything" I shrug. "Besides, they don't have full power. They still report to the Government and Setrakus Ra at the end of the day"

Hannah shakes her head. "They still have some power. After all, they let Stanley live after he killed the mog and pulled that rebellion sign. That could be you Adam. You could save Loric kids"

"My father will never allow it", I say weakly. But I'm caught up in the idea. I could help Loric children, and just say that it was the other Gamemakers' ideas as well as mine. My father could respect me again. I could make Hannah happy.

"Maybe he would" Hannah says softly. "What's the harm in trying? You can at least try?" I shake my head at once, looking down at the wet ground. My pace picks up as I head home, trying to ignore Hannah's poisonous words.

It's no use though. We both know that she's completely won me over.

Xxx

**Maren**

"Hi Katarina!" I call as I enter the apartment. I smell of chimaera dung, and sweat, and other horrible things. I know that I look a mess as well; my hair is matted from the rain, and my face is streaked with dirt. I can't wait for a hot shower.

"In here" her voice sounds weak, fragile, and it's coming from the bedroom. "I'm in here" her voice shakes.

I'm alert at once. Kat has never sounded scared before, but today she does. Her voice never shakes with fear, and she will always be strong, no matter what. And she _always_ comes out to greet me after work. I gently put my bag on the floor, trying not to make a noise as I ready myself for a fight. Someone is in there with Kat; someone is scaring her. I have to rescue her.

I creep closer and I can hear some rustling, and the tinny sound of metal. A gun. My breaths come quicker, as adrenalin begins to flood through my veins. All of my training from the Games comes back to me at once, and I turn invisible, inching through the small gap between the open door and doorframe. It's a wonder I manage to get in without making a noise.

Kat is sat on the bed, tears streaked down her face as a mog soldier looms over her, a gun pressed against her head. I don't turn my head because that might make some noise but I can feel the two mogs behind me, guarding the door. This ambush was made for me.

But what for? What have I done?

"Where is she? You've told her about us!" the mog next to Kat hisses, and then he raises his weapon. He's had enough, I can tell by the look on his face, and despite whatever orders he's supposed to be following, his heart is going to rule his head. He aims the nozzle at Kat's forehead.

I react without thinking things through.

"No!" I turn invisible and tackle the mog at once. I have the element of surprise and honestly, I'm the better fighter. I kick him to the ground easily, and before he can get up, I deliver a powerful punch to his throat, leaving him gasping for air. He sweeps his legs out to trip me up but I jump over them quickly, kicking him in the head. He falls unconscious quickly.

"Maren, don't!" Kat cries out, jumping up and reaching for my arm. I push her back onto the bed roughly, as the next mog lunges for me. He tackles me to the ground, his hands digging into the soft flesh of my neck. He's heavier than I am, and it's hard to budge him. I squirm and struggle underneath, my hands desperately trying to push him off. I reach out for his neck, my own hands wrapping around his throat.

"Stop!" we all stop at the command, my heart stopping when I watch the third mog pull Kat into a headlock, a gun pressed against her head. "Or I swear I'll blow her head off" he say through gritted teeth, his narrowed eyes watching me angrily. I know he's not bluffing.

I relax at once; there's no need to think this one through. The mog on top of me rolls off, grabbing my wrists at once with a tight grip. He locks them into handcuffs and drags me to my feet, kicking me viciously as if to show whose boss. I wince, but don't make a noise. I'll show him who's strong later, when Katarina isn't around to be threatened. Kat looks pale and scared as she watches them press a gun against my back, to stop me from doing anything.

"Take her to him" the mog snarls, removing the gun from Kat's head. He knocks her to the ground, and her head smacks against the floor with a horrible noise. She blinks blearily, trying to reach for the bed to pull herself up, but the mog kicks her again. She cries out and falls to the ground, clutching her side.

"No!" I yell, my fury taking over, and I lunge out for the mog.

I move so quickly that I don't see the punch coming my way until his fist slams into my cheek. My head snaps back, and I fall to the ground, my head smacking the floor. Everything turns black.

Xxx

**John**

_I'm your friend. I promise I won't hurt you. Please, I don't mean you any harm._

The bird on the windowsill tilts it head, as though looking as me inquisitively. It takes a few cautious hops forward, and then stops for a few moments. I keep my hand outstretched, breath held in excitement. The bird takes another hop forward…and then flies onto my hand.

"I did it!" I exclaim in delight. The bird reacts to the noise at once and flies out of the open window, disappearing within seconds. Disappointment races through me, and I berate myself for the stupid slip-up.

"Next time, try to keep quiet" Henri chuckles, writing something down in his little black notebook that contains reports of my progress. "But you've definitely progressed with this legacy" he adds.

I sigh, sitting down onto a nearby chair. I would have thought the legacy of talking to animals would come easy to me, but it's not. Maren seems to think I can communicate with them all the time because the chimaera in the pens like me, but it's not the case at all. Henri says Loric with the animal communication legacy just have an aura of trustworthiness around them, that animals instinctively trust. It means they are confident enough to be around us, but it doesn't mean we can talk to them well.

"If this one is so hard, I don't even want to know what my master legacy will be like to control" I rest my head in my hands, rubbing my temples in annoyance.

Master legacies are the final legacy every Loric gets, and it's usually their biggest and best one. It's also very hard to control, which means that it takes a good few years to master. I suppose I should count myself as lucky that I'll have my whole life here to master it.

"By the time you get it, you may have already mastered the art of learning to control legacies" Henri says wisely. "And you'll be stronger after years of legacy use, so I wouldn't worry" he smiles reassuringly.

"But when will I get it?" I ask in exasperation. "It's been over a year since I got Lumen! Maren's already got most of hers, if not all of them!" I say in annoyance.

It's a touchy subject that Maren has incredible legacies: invisibly and element control, whereas I have Lumen, animal telepathy and healing. They're better than nothing; in fact they're pretty good legacies, but nowhere near as cool as Maren's, in my opinion. But I think it seems to be luck of the draw; after all, Joseph's legacies are awesome too and he's got all of his…I think.

"You'll get it. Some takes years to develop. Some Loric who think they've developed all their legacies will get their master one when they least expect it" Henri replies calmly. "For example, Maren may believe that she has all her legacies, but she may develop her master one in a few year's time" he shrugs. "All we know is that you can develop any legacies between the age of 11-21"

"I hate the waiting" I sigh. "The not-knowing" Henri smiles sympathetically. I wonder how many times he's had a Loric tribute, desperate to get his legacies for the Games, but for some reason, them not activating in time. It's infuriating.

"I understand" he pats my knee gently. "But at least you have legacies. Think about the tributes who don't, like Sarah" he adds, standing up and heading to the other room to file away the little notebook that is so important to him.

I think of her at once, my beautiful girlfriend who hasn't been lucky enough to develop any. I know she finds it hard when she sees me practicing with my legacies because she would love some, more than anything. I also know that she would have killed to have some in the Games, when she could have used to defend the both of us, instead of relying on me all the time.

"Speaking of Sarah" Henri wanders back into the room, a teasing smile on his face. "Weren't you thinking of meeting up with her soon?" he asks curiously.

I check my watch, stifling a sigh when I see the time. "Yeah, I guess" I hesitate, and then stand up, not wanting to go just yet.

Henri watches me closely. "Something on your mind?" he asks gently, not judging at all. I know that I can always trust him enough to tell him anything, even if it's dangerous or rebellious. Henri is like a father to me; he would never betray me. I sigh again and then stuff my hands in my pockets, not sure how to tell him what I'm feeling.

"It's just…it's so confusing" I mutter. "I do love her…but I feel like things are changing between us now. It's not like it used to be…not as easy as it once was" I run a frustrated hand through my hair. Henri approaches me, gently placing both hands on my shoulders. His face is filled with love and kindness.

"Look John" he begins. "Every couple goes through a tough patch. This might be what you two are both experiencing. Things change all the time, and you may find things about her that aren't as perfect and shiny as you once thought. But that doesn't mean you don't love her all the same" he says wisely.

"I know…I just don't know what to do to make things easier. To make things go back to how comfortable it used to be" I shrug. Henri looks at my sympathetically, understanding in his eyes.

"I think-" he begins but he's interrupted by a banging on the door. He furrows his brow in confusion, especially when the banging continues, relentlessly.

"Hang on a minute" he mutters to me, heading over to the door. He opens it, a frown on his face, when a woman rushes in. There's blood down the side of her face, as well as tears, and she looks scared. It's Katarina, Maren's Mentor.

"Kat, is everything all right?" Henri looks alarmed, shutting the door quickly behind him. She's shaking, her eyes frantically looking around the place, as if expecting threats to jump out any moment.

"I don't know what to do Henri," she says urgently. "The mogs, they came for-" she stops talking at once when she sees me, her mouth hanging open. I take a few steps forward, fear for my friend racing though me. Where's Maren? Why isn't she with Katarina?

"What have they done to Maren?" I ask, the worry in my voice surprising even me. Katarina attempts a smile, straightening up. Henri rushes into his room, emerging quickly with a first aid kit.

"Nothing" she says, her lips trembling slightly. "It's nothing to do with her" Henri gently pushes her down onto the sofa, before wetting a cloth to clear up her wounds. I move forward to heal her, but Henri shoots me a look. It's not angry, or annoyed, but it's clear he wants me to go.

"Why don't you go and see Sarah?" he says, a pointed look in his eyes. I want to protest and shake my head, demanding for answers. But it's clear that I won't be getting any.

"I'll be back soon" I sigh in defeat, grabbing my coat and keys. I shut the door behind me, hearing their whispers start up as soon as I'm gone. I hear Maren's name as well as 'mogs' and 'danger'. But that's about all I can hear.

What the hell is going on with Maren? And more importantly, does she need help?

Xxx

**Maren**

"Maren? Maren honey, wake up"

Am I dreaming? That can't be my mother's voice whispering in my ear, can't be my mother's hands gently stroking my pounding head. This has to be a dream. I feel a soft touch on my cheek, a small hand slipping into my own. That can't be Lilia's hand, can it? It's impossible. But it feels like my little sister's hand.

"Maren" this voice is just as gentle, but more commanding. Catia? "Wake up"

I open my eyes.

My mother bursts into happy tears, pressing her face into my hair as her arms wrap around me. Lilia cries out in delight and hugs me too, her small body stronger than I remember it to be. Catia stands behind them both, a loving smile on her face, but there's a tightness in her eyes that sets me at edge. They all look older, all look sadder.

"Where am I?" I croak. I sit up on the couch, my mother and sister clinging to me. I feel numb, empty. I should be delighted, thrilled to see them here. I should be kissing them, hugging them, telling them how much I love them. But I can't. This feels like far too much of a trap for me to be happy.

"The Training Centre" my mother takes my face between her hands, happy tears still spilling out of her eyes. "Oh sweetie, I've missed you so much" she presses her forehead against mine, still smiling. Lilia is crying too, but Catia doesn't say a word, just smiles. I guess not much has changed then.

No, _no. _This is wrong, this is very wrong.

"You have to go" I urgently swing my legs over the side of the couch, desperately looking for a way out. I ignore my pounding head. "You have to leave now" Lilia stands a stumbling step away, her eyes watching me anxiously. It's as if she doesn't know who I am anymore.

My mother shakes her head, reaching out for my hand. "It's ok Maren" she soothes me. "We're just visiting, nothing more. We'll be gone in an hour, there's nothing dangerous going on"

I watch her naïve face, wondering if she's gone insane. Doesn't she know what the mogs are like? Lilia is nodding along, her face just as trusting as my mother's, but I never expected my little sister to think badly of this meeting. I turn to Catia, expecting her to back me up, but she gently reaches out for my hand. Her face is gentle, compassionate as she watches me.

"It's ok Maren" she soothes me. "There's nothing going on, you've just been through a lot and they thought you would appreciate the visit. Its understandable after all you've been through to be worried, but you don't need to be" she kneels in front of me. My mother sits on one side, her arm tight around me, and Lilia sits on my other side, resting her head on my shoulder.

I feel numb. I'm delighted to see them but there's a horrible sick feeling in my stomach that tells me this isn't right. I _want_ to enjoy the moment and be happy, but my instincts won't let me. I look around, wishing for an exit but there is none. We're locked in this luxurious room and I don't know how to get out. _That's the point_ I tell myself.

"I've missed you guys" tears are thick in my voice. What's going to happen? Oh Lore, please don't kill them, for the love of Lorien, please don't let them be killed in front of me.

"We've missed you too" my mother kisses my forehead, wiping away a few stray tears on my cheeks. "We're so proud of you Maren. You were such a fighter. Such a Victor" she smiles proudly.

Lilia snuggles closer to me. "When do you think you'll come home? I miss you," she says softly, kissing my cheek. I sniff, more tears in my eyes. This is so wonderful, and so wrong.

"I don't know" my voice is soft. I can't let them know my fears. I have to let them enjoy the moment. "Whenever the mogs let me come home" I feel sick. "I love you all, so much" it feels necessary that they know that; that they realise how much they mean to me. "You were the reason I fought, all of you. I love you so, so much"

"We love you too" my mother smiles, holding me close. Lilia laughs, an innocent, happy laugh, and even Catia grins. She rests her head on my knees, her hands clutching at mine. My fear begins to disappear. Surely something would have happened by now? Maybe I _am_ too paranoid after all. Maybe they're right to enjoy the moment. I should too.

"They said we could-" my mother begins, when the door bursts open.

"No!" I scream at once, knowing what is going to happen. I knew it. I _knew_ it and I did nothing.

Mogs pour into the room, too many of them for me to fight. They grab Catia, my mother, hitting them and beating them to the ground so they can't fight back. I scream again, both angry and scared, lunging to save them, but a mog backhands me, sending me tumbling into the couch. My mother cries out my name, begging the mogs to stop hurting me as they drag her to her feet. Catia remains calm, blood trickling down her face, as she gets to her feet. The mogs handcuff both her and my mother, deeming them bigger threats. One mog drags Lilia away from me as she screams my name, hands grasping for me. I reach out for her but am hit again. I watch them dizzily, barely comprehending what's going on. All three are dragged out of the room; as they scream for me, scream for my help.

"Please, please don't hurt them!" I plead with the mogs in front of me, as I stagger to my feet again. The door slams shut as the mogs leave and I throw myself at the door, my mind paralysed with fear. Tears are streaming down my cheeks; my hands are bleeding as I pound at the solid metal door. "_Please don't hurt them!"_

"We won't as long as you co-operate"

My heart stops at that voice. The tears are cold on my cheeks, as I turn to face the man in the room. I thought I was alone; I didn't realise he was here. I whimper, despite myself, as I slide down against the door so I'm sitting on the floor in front of me. I feel weak, defeated.

"Don't hurt them," I simply whisper. "I'll do anything"

Setrakus Ra smiles.

* * *

**Soooo….hope you enjoyed! **

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4 - Visitors

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all for the incredible reviews! 39 so far! I'm so grateful and can only say thank you!**

**I'm back from Uni now and have five weeks off which is wonderful! I hope to do as much writing as possible but I still have lots of revision to do as well. But updates should be a weekly thing now.**

**Please read on and hopefully enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4 - Visitors

**Maren**

"Please Maren, feel free to join me" Setrakus Ra says politely, as though we're acquaintances and not arch enemies.

I wipe the tears from my eyes, wishing I didn't feel as weak as I do right now. I stand up shakily, my knees trembling as I make my way over to the table where he's sat. I take in the room for the first time: ornate desk, chaises, rugs and paintings spread over the room and a huge window with a view of the Capital behind him. I knew from the moment I first saw the glass that it was bullet proof.

"Don't hurt them," I beg. "They haven't done anything" I want to sound terrifying, in control, but I know my words are just pleas. Setrakus simply gestures to the empty chair in front of me and I sit down, my body sinking weakly into the plush cushioning. I feel drained, as though I've just lost one battle and have to face another.

I can only imagine what I look like to him. A weak, snivelling girl, who looks and smells gross after a long day at work in the chimaera stables. I won't look anything like the girl in the arena who defeated the mogs without breaking a sweat. I won't look like the girl I really am.

"Tea?" he offers me a cup but I shake my head mutely. I can't forget the image of my mother being hit. I can still hear Lilia screaming my name as she was dragged out of the door. I can still see Catia's calm eyes widening with fear and alarm.

"Where are they?" I ask, my voice harder this time. Setrakus pours his own tea out, looking slightly amused. As if three lives aren't hanging in the balance right now.

"I suspect they will be taken back home as we speak" he shrugs. "Nothing harmful is happening to them, if that is what concerns you" he speaks eloquently with a strange clipped accent, like he's a couple of centuries older than he actually is. He finishes pouring his tea and leans back, studying me. I refuse to fidget, despite how unnerved and terrified I feel. Yet I am relieved at the thought of my family being at home, safe if only for now.

"You know," he finally says after a long few minutes' silence. "You are a very strong tribute" he nods, lifting the teacup to his lips. He takes a sip, his eyes never breaking eye contact. My blood is pounding in my veins and my hands are sweating.

"Thank you" I whisper. He acts as though he never heard me, as he places the teacup down onto the table, folding his hands on the desk.

"It was very impressive how quickly you got to grips with the woods, especially with hunting" he says casually, as though this is a catch-up chat between two old friends. "My men couldn't believe how skilled you were. It was almost as if you had done it before"

My heart stops. Both Katarina and I had been worried that the mogs would find out about my illegal past in hunting, but in the end, the need for food won out in the arena. It was likely that I would die anyway; I might as well die with a full stomach. I stare at Setrakus, my mouth dry and eyes wide with fear. I wish my old fighting spirit would return, but I know that my family's life hangs in the balance now. I have to play along or he'll kill them for my insolence.

"But" Setrakus continues after a short pause. "I disagreed. After all, that would have been illegal" his eyes watch me keenly, looking for weakness. My face remains stoic, although I'm a mess inside.

"What do you want of me?" I ask, my voice strong and lacking emotion. I'm pleased, especially when I see a flicker of surprise in his eyes. If he expected me to cower and snivel in front of them, then he chose the wrong Victor.

Setrakus tilts his head to the side, his ugly face regarding me. "It's not really your fault" he sighs, almost sadly. "If not for your abnormally aggressive temperament, I would never have selected you. That and your love for your family made you the perfect choice"

"What?" I furrow my brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?" What the hell is going on?

"It was all Stanley's fault you see" Setrakus stands and begins to pace slowly, his footsteps practically inaudible. He stops in front of the window, looking outside. Whilst he's not looking I take a deep breath, my shaking hand reaching up and brushing away a matt of sweaty hair on my forehead.

"If he hadn't executed that ridiculous Loric sign of peace then you would never be here," Setrakus continues. "But I suppose there is nothing to be done about that anymore"

"What are you talking about?" I finally burst out. The guy is insane. Dangerous, terrifying and insane.

Setrakus turns to face me, eyes shining with anger, and all pleasantries disappear. He walks over to the desk quickly and slams his hands down on the table, leaning over me menacingly. I forgot that under his calm pleasantries lied a murderer and a dictator. I whimper despite myself, and lean back in my chair, as he towers over me, eyes flashing with rage. My fingernails dig so hard into my palms that I can feel drops of blood beading on my skin.

"You see, your _people_ seem to think that Stanley is the head of a rebellion," he hisses. "They think he's been selected for a reason: to fight back. They seem to want to get themselves killed for their planet," he snaps in fury. I cower back in fear; I may be strong, but he is far stronger than me.

"That's ridiculous…there is no-no rebellion" I stutter. Setrakus snarls and then reaches out, his hand grasping my chin. I try to squirm away, terror filling me but I can't fight his grip.

"Then explain this" before I can ask what he's talking about, it's like my mind explodes. Images of burning buildings and screaming Loric fill my mind. I watch as furious crowds trample mogs to death, as the Capital's flags are torn down and burnt in the street. Mogs move through the crowds, shooting the Loric, and more screams fill the air.

Setrakus pulls back and I'm left gasping, cowering in front of him. My head is splitting with pain and I'm trembling, senseless with terror. I'm petrified for myself, but most of all for my family. One wrong move here and they're dead, or worse, tortured. I can't let them down, I just can't.

"There" Setrakus calmly walks away; back to his composed self. "That is the cause of your _friend's_ actions" he shakes his head. "I want you to stop it"

"How?!" I gasp, rocketing to my feet. "I can't stop that! They're too angry to listen! And how would I do it?!" Despair fills me, as well as anger. This wasn't my fault! Why is it my task?!

"You will be heading off on the Victory tour soon" Setrakus says calmly, heedless of my anger. "I have had speeches prepared and I want you to read them for me. I want you to be the perfect, model Victor, who realises that her existence is entirely based around the Mogadorians. I want the world to know that you are one of us now, not one of them" he replies smugly, sensing my inner turmoil.

"And if I don't?" I try one last act of rebellion. I can't do this…this is too big a task and I just don't think I can do it. Setrakus' face turns triumphant.

"Then your family will be dead," he says bluntly. I sink down onto my chair weakly, knowing that was coming. There's no way I can pull off a task like this, but yet I have to. I have to save my family, who have done no wrong at all.

"I'll do it," I finally say. "I'll help you".

Setrakus Ra smiles, straightening up and walking over. He leans closely to me, and I take a step back at once, but he fixes me in place with telekinesis. I try to squirm away but he's just too strong. He leans close to me, so he can whisper in my ear where I can smell his foul breath. It smells like blood.

"We shall be the best of friends now, won't we Maren?" he whispers, his foul breath making me want to retch. There's the lightest touch on my hand as something is pressed into my fist. I take it automatically, not wanting to anger him. My family's lives are at stake.

Setrakus pulls back with a low laugh, walking towards the door. I look down at my hand numbly, barely aware of the powerful smell of rose petals wafting throughout the room. The blood red rose in my hand looks as fresh as though it's just been picked. I drop it on the floor once, the smell from the petals reminding me of the smell of dead people.

_We shall be the best of friends now, won't we Maren?_

I can't help myself. I collapse onto the floor, right onto the red rose.

Xxx

**Stanley**

I wait nervously, my knees bouncing up and down quickly. My palms are slightly sweaty, and I have this awful sick feeling in my stomach, as I think of what's going to happen. I take another deep breath, peering around my living room, wishing more than anything that this wasn't going to happen, and that I could be back in back, asleep and unaware.

"You look like you're about to be executed" Sandor remarks from his favourite chair, peering up from his book about mechanics. I manage a feeble smile, still feeling sick.

"I feel like that too" I reply, my mouth dry. Sandor chuckles, far too laid back for my liking.

"It's just a visit from your parents" he shrugs. "What could possible go wrong?" he turns back to his book, not really interested in my reply. He doesn't seem to realise the enormity of the situation.

Truth be told, anything could happen. I don't know what my parents are going to think of this new Stanley in front of them. They had to watch me kill mogs without mercy; they watched me turn into a monster. I don't want to see their accusing eyes, their faces lined with wrinkles from the pain that I've caused them.

"What if they hate me?" I finally whisper. "What if they can't stand to be in the same room as me?"

Sandor lowers his book, looking at me kindly. "They won't" he reassures me. "If they felt that way they wouldn't even be turning up today. They won't hate you at all…they love you"

"But I'm not the boy they raised" I protest. "I'm a monster. I've killed mogs…done things I would never have done before. I'm not their son anymore" I feel sick and wish I could be far away right now, hidden in the woods with Byscoe, my poor chimaera who must be wondering where I am.

"You'll always be their son" Sandor rises from his chair, heading towards me. "No matter what you do, they'll always love you. It's part of the package that comes with being a parent" he smiles gently, placing a hand on my shoulder.

There's a knock on the door and I swear, my heart stops. I stand abruptly, as Sandor takes a few steps back towards his room, an encouraging smile on his face. This is a moment between my parents and I, and as much as I love and trust Sandor, he knows that this moment is private. I take a few, hesitant steps forward as the door opens.

My mother is the first to enter, but it takes me a few seconds to recognise her. I can't believe how much she's changed in the space of a year; her face is lined with wrinkles, and her hair has completely greyed. She looks old…weak. Dad follows behind her, his wheelchair pushed by a couple of mogs. He looks old too, defeated, but there's a happy smile when he sees me.

"Stanley" my mother whispers when she sees me. Her face is filled with joy, but there's anxiety there as well. Are they _scared_ of me?

"Hi Mum" my voice is husky and I have to clear my throat. I wonder how different I look to them too. I must do; I've grown and filled out too.

"It's been so long" she looks like she wants to run over and hug me, but doesn't know how. I take a few stumbling steps forward and then wrap my arms around her, tears building up behind my eyes. "I've missed you so much" her voice breaks and she sobs once, burying her face into my neck.

"I've missed you too," I say hollowly, not sure what else to say. My dad watches me, tears in his eyes too. My mum clings to me, stronger than she looks. She starts to cry properly, and I seriously hope it's not because she doesn't recognise me anymore. I hope it's because she's happy, not upset.

"It's ok, Mum" I awkwardly pat her back. "I'm ok" she nods, pulling back and gently taking my face between her two hands. I feel a surge of love when looking at her, but there's also anxiety. I forgot how easy it is to be vulnerable when someone you love can be easily broken.

"How have you been? Have they been feeding you well?" she asks hurriedly. I laugh brokenly; that's what she's worried about? I guess that's what parents do though; worry about the smallest things.

"Of course, Mum" I reassure her. "I don't exactly look starved, do I?" I try to make her smile but more tears fill her eyes and I look at Dad in alarm. He reaches out to take Mum's hand, a sad smile on his face.

"You've changed," he says sadly. "You've changed a lot"

The sick feeling returns, stronger and more sickening than before. So my fears weren't unfounded, they really do think I'm a monster. They've seen what I've done, what I'm able to do and they're disgusted by me. I want to throw up the feeling is so strong. They must hate me.

"I had to" my voice is harsher than I mean it to be. "If I hadn't changed, I wouldn't have survived"

My mother winces and reaches out for my hand. "We know Stanley, we meant it in a positive way" she soothes me, stroking the back of my hand. "We're so proud of you…so, so proud that you've managed to survive this long" she attempts a smile, but it breaks apart quickly.

"Do you want a drink, or anything to eat?" I ask them awkwardly, wanting to change the subject. It's just too painful to talk about with them. But what do we talk about now? The weather? What's happening back home, a place I'll never be able to return to? Each topic seems more ridiculous the more I think about it.

"We ate before we came" my dad says. He's not looking at me, but at my mum, as though worried that she's going to break any moment. I wonder how much he had to deal with when I was in the Games. I wonder how many times he had to piece my mum's broken heart back together.

Something tells me I don't want to know.

"How have you been?" I ask him, feeling even more distant. We never had the best relationship, but he'll always be my dad, and we've always been united in our protectiveness over my mother. That will never change.

"The mogs are going to send me to the hospital in a few weeks" he smiles, the first smile I've seen on his face in years.

"What for?" I ask, dread curling up in my stomach. This can only be bad…can't it?

"After your success in the Games, the mogs rewarded us" Mum explains eagerly, looking younger as her face lights up with joy. "They're going to let him be healed by your fellow Victor! It's amazing, isn't it?!" she exclaims in delight.

"Amazing" I echo, but I feel sick again. The mogs will want something in return for this, I'm sure of that. They don't give out rewards like this for free, no matter how prestigious the person is.

"Stanley" My mother takes my face between her hands again, her eyes taking in my face. She can tell something's up; she knows me too well. "Is something wrong? If you're scared or unsure of something you know you can tell us anything," she whispers gently.

I want to break down and tell her that I'm scared of what the mogs could do to her and Dad. I want to tell her to get the hell out of here and run as fast as she can because I can't help but feel there's more to this visit than she thinks. But I know that if I say this to her she'll refuse to leave my side, thinking that she'll protect me. I can't put her in more danger.

So instead I plaster a smile on my face and lean forwards kissing her cheek. I have to lie to protect her. I can't let her be hurt anymore than she's already been hurt.

"Nothing's wrong Mum" I lie. "Everything's perfect"

Xxx

**John**

_What if she's in trouble? I need to help her; she's my friend after all._

I pause in the corridor, my feet turned towards the direction that Sarah's room is in. I know that she's expecting me, and might worry when I don't turn up. She'll wonder what's gotten into me. But if Maren is really in trouble then I need to go and help her.

I take a breath and then turn away from Sarah's room. She can wait; she'll understand why I had to go and see if everything was ok. I walk quickly past my door, almost expecting Henri and Katarina to march out. But the coast is clear and I hurry quickly towards Maren's room, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. If Maren's hurt, who knows what I'll do to those bastards.

It takes me only a few minutes to reach her door, and I wait outside nervously, not sure whether to knock or not. I suddenly feel ridiculously nervous, as if I'm intruding. But then I picture Katarina's bloody face in my mind and determination takes over. I knock on the door, my fist slamming against the thick wood.

Nothing happens.

I wait for a few more moments and then knock again, more urgently. I look down the corridor, wondering if my knocking will have attracted anyone, but it's completely empty. My stomach knots up in panic, and without thinking it through properly, I unlock the door with telekinesis, barging into Maren's room.

It's completely empty. The room looks neat, clean, as if nothing has happened here. Shutting the door behind me, I venture further into the room, my hands lighting up with Lumen. I can't help but feel as though this is a trap and something dreadful is about to happen, but I need to know if Maren is all right. I notice that a door is slightly open, as if someone tried to shut it but couldn't. I creep closer, holding my breath. My hands are burning, I can see the tiny flicker of fire on my skin, but I can't find it in me to calm myself down. I kick open the door, holding my hands in front of me, prepared for an attack.

The room is empty, like the rest of the apartment. But it's looks as though there's been a fight in here. The covers on the bed are rumpled, and the chest of drawers and small bedside table have been knocked over. But even worse is the blood on the floor.

"Maren!" I call urgently, panic racing through me. Now I know why Katarina was so panicked; the mogs have Maren and are doing something dreadful to her, I'm sure of it. I back away from the room, my hands completely on fire now. If a mog were to enter now, I'm sure I'd kill it within seconds.

"Maren!" I scream, but there's no answer. I turn and run out of the apartment, needing to find Katarina. I need to know where the mogs have taken Maren so I can help her.

I'll make them pay for hurting my friend.

Xxx

"They've got Maren" I burst into my apartment, my hands still on fire. Henri jumps up, looking alarmed, but then a weary smile makes its way onto his face when he sees me. He relaxes, even though my hands are still burning.

"Yes" he nods. My heart stops beating. "But not for the reasons that you think"

I stare at him in stupid shock and Henri smiles again, looking slightly amused, but tired too. Katarina is nowhere to be seen; she must have gone to find Maren or something. It almost feels like it was all a bad dream.

"Is Maren all right?" I demand. "What are they doing to her?"

"Nothing" he straightens up. "The mogs were going to take her to see her family, but she overreacted. I guess you can't blame her after everything you've all been through" he adds. I can tell Henri is trying to change the subject but I ignore him.

"And?" I raise an eyebrow, suppressing my Lumen. The fire flares on my hands and then disappears as I let go of my legacy. I feel less worried, but I still have the horrible nagging feeling that she's in trouble. That there's something that Henri isn't telling me.

"She punched the mogs or something along those lines" he shrugs, looking weary. "Katarina tried to get involved but they took Maren away all the same. Kat just thought something bad was going to happen to Maren and tried to intervene, hence the blood, but it'll be fine" he looks at me earnestly.

I frown, relaxing my tight posture. "Why would Maren do that though?" I think back on her earlier behaviour today. She'd been as relaxed as she could ever be. There hadn't seemed to be anything wrong with her. A blush starts to form on my cheeks as I think of the way I reacted; I've clearly been overreacting over nothing.

"This is Maren" Henri says gently. "She's always been slightly out-of-control. She might have had a bad day, saw the mogs and then jumped to conclusions. Can you blame her? She's been under a lot of pressure" he smiles at me.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow" I decide. "To see if she's all right," I add, my eyes narrowing. Henri doesn't react, but I can tell my words will have touched a nerve. For some reason he wants me to let this all go, as if this isn't important. And even though I know she's all right, there's still something not quite right about all of this.

"Why were her family even visiting anyway?" I ask the other question that was bothering me. Henri grimaces, standing up. There's a sad look in his eyes and I can feel my stomach clenching with nerves. Something's wrong, I can feel it.

"Because it's family visitation day," he explains softly. "The Victors' family have come to visit" he stands up, his face taking on that look when he's trying to soften a blow.

"Where are my grandparents then?" the world feels distant, as though I'm speaking through a fog or something. Henri bites his lip, his face filled with pain. For me or for him I can't quite tell.

"John" he begins, but I shake my head, feeling numb.

"Tell me!" I snap. Henri's face turns white and then he looks down, his features downcast.

"They're dead," he finally admits. Although I knew it was coming, I still feel as though I've been hit in the stomach. I feel isolated, like the world has stopped moving and I can't do anything. My body feels frozen.

"What?" I barely manage to choke out. Henri moves forwards, as if to comfort me but then stops, looking down at the floor once more. I think the expression on my face scares him.

"It was a disease" Henri says softly, his face filled with pain. He doesn't like to see me hurting. I can feel my heart thudding frantically in my chest, but I can't find it in me to do anything. I can't move. "A fever that ravaged Mogadore. They were too old and weak to be able to fight the disease. They died a few months ago"

A few months ago. Probably just after we won the Games. I find myself sinking down onto a sofa, my knees shaking frantically. My hands are gripped into fists, and my jaw aches from my clenched teeth. Henri takes a step forwards, but I shoot a glare at him. I don't know why; he hasn't done anything.

"It was the mogs," I finally say. My voice is distant. "They wanted to punish me for winning" Henri shakes his head frantically, sitting down next to me. He takes my hand, despite my frozen state.

"No" he shakes his head. "It was simply disease"

I shoot him a glare, feeling tears forming in my eyes. They're dead. Memories of my Grandma setting food in front of me, my grandpa's laughter as I make a joke fill my mind. I suppress a sob, and my shoulders shake with the effort. There's a horribly sharp pain in my chest and then the tears escape from my eyes. Henri wraps his arms around me, as the sobs break free, and I bury my face in his neck.

My grandparents are dead. And despite whatever Henri says or thinks, I know it was the mogs.

* * *

**I know I made Maren seem pretty weak and scared, but compared to Setrakus that's exactly what she is. She's not strong enough to face him at the moment, and although she hates him, she doesn't have enough reason to really want to fight a rebellion. Yet.**

**Hope you all enjoyed and please review! I love hearing feedback!**

**Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 5 - Preparation

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love the huge amount of support and love reading the feedback, and thoughts on the story so far! Thank you!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Hanny999 – I love the idea of John getting so angry that he gets a new legacy, and I will definitely use that idea, I might just wait for a little while until something really big/bad happens…**

**Hope you enjoy this and please review!**

* * *

Chapter 5 – Preparation

**Marina**

Hector's tongue pokes between his teeth as he runs the tape measure around my waist, his eyes focused intently on what's he's doing. He pauses for a moment and then jots a few numbers down on his notebook, before unwrapping the tape measure. He doesn't look too pleased.

"Start eating," he commands me, his eyes dark. "Your measurement has gone down again. 23.5 inches" he shakes his head. "Any lower and so help me…" he scowls, looking at the page. I blush a little, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Sorry" I mutter, a little embarrassed. "I hadn't realised," I mumble. Hector never used to worry about my weight, not even in the Games when I lost so much in the arena. But now he's been watching me like a hawk, saying I'm not eating enough. The truth is, I _am_, but healing seems to burn every calorie off.

"It's not your fault" he sighs, his anger waning. "Just means I'll have to adjust your dresses slightly," he adds. I pull my jumper back on, now that the last minute measurements are over, relieved to be covered up once more. Especially now that Hector looks so displeased.

"It won't be a problem will it?" I ask softly. He smiles, ruffling my hair, as he walks by, apparently fully cheered up. He's like joseph in that respect; they seem to cheer up very quickly.

"Don't worry Marina," he laughs, settling down in his favourite chair as he looks down at his notebook with the new measurements. "It's not an issue" he reassures me. "Although you should start eating more" he threatens good-naturedly. I smile softly, sitting down on the sofa opposite him, tucking my legs under me.

"Are you coming with us on the Tour?" I ask, since this is the first time I've been able to speak to him properly in ages.

The Victory Tour starts tomorrow, and all the Victors are going, which I'm delighted about. It'll be so nice to see everyone again. The tour can last up to two weeks, and I'm both excited and terrified. It'll be wonderful to leave the Capital for a while and explore what I can of Lorien, but it's still terrifying to be going on the Tour. We're heading off to Navaria tomorrow, one of the largest cities on Lorien. It's only three hours away by ship, and Hector has promised that it'll be freezing there, so he's already laid out some warm clothes for me.

"Of course" he nods, chewing the end of his pencil. "In case of wardrobe malfunctions" he winks and I smile softly. But it falls apart quickly as I look down at the sofa, the nerves taking over.

I'm secretly terrified about the trip. We all have to say something at least once, a speech, a memorial for a dead tribute…and I'm rubbish at public speaking. The others will be fine, I'm sure, but I'm worried I'm just going to mess it up and look stupid. I'm worried that I'm going to be not just the weak one again, but the stupid one too.

"It'll be nice to see Ella again" I muse aloud instead, not wanting him to worry more about me. Hector nods absently, his pencil sketching rapidly on the page.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he replies slowly. I nod, deciding to leave him to his work. I stand up and head to my room; Hector doesn't even seem to notice that I've gone. He's too absorbed in his work to care.

I shut the door behind me, weariness settling over me. I head to the mirror, wondering if I look as tired as I feel. Hector and Joseph both said I look exhausted; maybe they meant I look a _mess. _I sit down heavily on the dressing table stool, looking at myself in the glass. My eyes have bags under them and my skin, still lightly tanned, is washed out. My cheekbones are more prominent than they used to be, not in the scary, _she needs to eat now_ kind of way, but enough to tell that I'm stressed and working too hard. But worst of all you can see the haunted look in my eyes, the look of exhaustion that says more than words can.

"Marina," Adelina pushes my door open and I swivel around on my stool, blushing for being caught looking at myself. What if she thinks I'm vain? But Adelina doesn't even seem to notice me that much; she's got a clipboard in her hands and has that look on her face that means business.

"We have to go over your speech for tomorrow" she says, not noticing the blush on my cheeks. Her face looks emotionless, and I feel a twist of anger in my stomach; does she even care about me anymore?

"I'm speaking tomorrow?" I ask, trying to ignore my unnecessary anger. There's no point getting cross with her; it's not worth being angry with someone who's on my side.

Adelina nods briskly. "You'll be starting the ceremony off tomorrow" she hands me a sheet of paper. The words blur in front of my eyes and I can't be bothered to focus on them properly. "You'll be given cards to read off, but you need to memorise as much as possible" she says, more gently.

I nod, feeling overwhelmed, but I try to push the feeling aside. "Is anyone else speaking tomorrow too?" I ask, focusing on the sheet more. Words jump out at me: _honour, privilege, grateful…_I feel sick at the blatant Mogadorian propaganda and I push the sheet away.

"Stanley" she settles down on the edge of the bed, her face almost sad. "It was the city that his partner in Round 1 grew up in" she explains. I gasp, a pang of pity racing through me. Poor Stanley. He's going to have to say something for Maddy and I don't know if he can handle that or not. Last I saw him he was still taking her death badly, and honestly, if it were Joseph's death, I would probably be the same.

"That's cruel" is all I can say. Adelina shrugs, and passes me the sheet again, her face more determined.

"That's life" she replies. "Learn it as best as you can Marina," she commands, standing up. I look down, wishing she would be kinder, gentler like some of the other mentors. But she's all business; as if that's what I want. As if that's all I care about.

"What time are we heading off tomorrow?" I ask, almost desperate to stop her from leaving. I don't want to be alone, not anymore. But Adelina doesn't seem to notice, or care.

"We're leaving around 8 o'clock so we're there at 11" she pauses. "The daytime ceremony starts at 12" she smiles. "So I'll wake you up at 6. Get some sleep, you'll need it" she smiles, leaving my room and shutting the door behind her.

I fall back onto the bed, staring up at my ceiling, the speech knotted in my hands. I don't want to say what the mogs have told me to read out, but I have no other choice. With a groan, I roll over and smooth out the paper, reading the lines carefully. A scowl forms on my face as I read the awful lies on the page, but I have to learn them. I'm a Victor; I do what they want now.

Xxx

**Sophia**

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said nothing had changed"

Marcus stands on the roof of the Training Centre, the wind gently ruffling his hair and tugging at his clothes. He doesn't seem to notice the biting cold, or the light blue force field just inches away from his vulnerable skin. He's smiling, almost happy to be back. As if this place is his home, not his prison.

"What's the point of redecorating if most of the Tributes are going to die?" I reply, joining him at the edge of the roof, looking down at the Capital below. The height is dizzying, but I don't feel sick; I feel exhilarated.

"True" he shrugs, a smile playing on his lips. "But then what's the point of decorating in the first place?"

I roll my eyes, stuffing my frozen hands into my pockets. "To make it look like the Loric are lucky to be here," I muse. "To make it worse when they die: you've enjoyed all the luxuries and then you die" I say bluntly. Marcus chuckles, not seeming put off by my anger.

"You haven't changed either" he grins. "Still the same, cynical girl as always"

I kick a small pebble off the edge of the roof, watching as it's zapped to dust by the force field. Marcus winces, and takes a small step back, suddenly releasing the potential consequences of hitting the field. I simply watch the smoke and dust being blown about by the wind, before it disappears altogether.

"Is that a problem?" I raise an eyebrow at him, continuing our earlier conversation abruptly. He shakes his head, still eyeing the force field nervously.

"Of course not" he replies, reaching out for my hand. I let him take it, glad to have the company and reassurance. I've been by myself for so long that it's nice to rely on someone else for once.

"You know, Sophia" he begins but the door to the roof opens, interrupting him. I turn curiously to see who it is, and can't help but blush when I see Stanley push through the door. He's wearing dirty clothes, covered in oil and grease, and his face is lined with weariness, which quickly snaps into a frown when he sees Marcus. I tug my hand out of Marcus' but by the look on Stanley's face, he's already seen it.

"Hi, Stanley" my voice is unusually high, and I can bet that my cheeks are bright red. I haven't seen him in so long, and it should be good to see him again, but I just feel awkward.

"Hello, Sophia" he says, his voice formal. His eyes take in Marcus, and to my surprise I see anger in them. Why is he mad? Can't he see that Marcus and I are just friends.

"Hi" Marcus steps forwards, holding his hand out politely. "I'm Marcus. Sophia and I are fellow Victors," he explains, not sensing the tension just yet. Stanley just watches him, his lip curled slightly, clearly not going to shake Marcus' hand.

"This is Stanley," my voice stammers in embarrassment. I don't even know _why_ I feel awkward right now but I do. "He's a Victor from this year's Games," I add. Marcus' hand drops, and I can see a blush on his cheeks too.

"Oh, nice to meet you" he murmurs. Stanley just shrugs, his eyes on me now. He looks annoyed still and I can feel my embarrassment turning to anger; what have I done now?

"Stanley, is everything all right?" I snap. His eyes narrow, and his hands clench at his side.

"I just wanted to talk to you" he replies tightly. "I didn't realise you were _busy_" the way he says it makes me flush, and I feel defensive. I shouldn't have to defend myself to anyone, least of all him!

"Well, um, I'll see you around Sophia" Marcus gently pats my arm, probably sensing the tension between Stanley and I. Scowling, I simply nod, my eyes focused on Stanley. Marcus pauses, embarrassed, and then ducks out of the door quickly.

"What the hell was that for?" I explode as soon as the door shuts. "He was just trying to be polite!"

"Oh, I'm sorry for embarrassing your boyfriend" Stanley mocks. "Maybe you should go and make it up to him!" he sneers. My cheeks flush again, but I stand my ground.

"He's not my boyfriend," I snap back. "He's just my friend, and he only returned from the hospital yesterday! Of course I was glad to see him"

Stanley seems to pause, his face clouded with confusion. "What?" he finally replies. I roll my eyes, still angry at his behaviour.

"He's been gone since my Games finished," I explain more gently, despite my annoyance. "We've been catching up" I scowl. "Not making out"

"Oh" Stanley blushes fully, and looks down at his feet, apparently contrite. "Oh, sorry…" he looks up. "I was just…" he trails off. I cross my arms, scowling.

"Just what?" I snap. He's pissed me off and I'm not the kind of person to forgive and forget within seconds. Stanley pales a little, but looks up, his face oddly vulnerable.

"It's just, that you're the only person I feel like I can really trust," he finally admits. "I may get on with the others, but I don't feel like I can really talk to them" he sighs, running a hand through his messy hair. "And then…I saw you holding hands with that guy and I was jealous" he bites his lip. "Sorry, it's a lousy excuse, I know"

"That's all right" I feel a smile make its way onto my face, my earlier anger forgotten. I reach out for his hand, my skin warm when his touches mine. "I understand where you're coming from"

Stanley still looks slightly embarrassed. "I haven't seen you in so long" he smiles. "It's been a few months at least" I think he's trying to change the subject.

"I know" I squeeze his hand, hyper aware of where his skin touches mine. "I've missed you," I say earnestly. He smiles, his eyes lighting up.

"I've missed you too," he whispers, and for the first time he doesn't look dangerous, or unstable. He looks like a boy who has seen too much death and pain and can't handle it.

"What did you want to talk about?" I ask softly. He bites his lip, looking away from me and out towards the Capital, as though he can avoid the topic.

"It's stupid," he says weakly. I reach out and gently turn his face to mine, feeling oddly protective over him. It's a weird feeling to be defensive over someone when they're clearly capable of looking after themselves.

"Of course it won't be" I soothe him. "What's bothering you?" I ask again. He sighs, and then his eyes meet mine, filled with worry.

"It's the Anniversary Games. They still haven't been announced and they're in six months" he shakes his head. "It's so unfair; they'll be throwing in untrained tributes!" he bites his lip. "And I can't help but think that it's my fault"

I know at once what he's talking about. His clear love of killing mogs, as well as that stupid Loric sign of peace he pulled is not going to go down well with the mogs. He's not wrong to be worried about the consequences his actions could have on the tributes for next year's Games. But I can't find it in me to berate him; he's got enough to deal with as it is. Tomorrow he'll be off on the Victory Tour and their first stop is the very city where his dead girlfriend grew up. It's going to bring back a lot of painful memories.

"It's not your fault" I lie. "They long set out rules for every Anniversary Games" I squeeze his hand. "Whatever they're planning on doing this year will have been planned long before they knew about you" I soothe him.

"Sophia" he sighs. He frowns, looking away from me once more, his face hard. "I know you mean well, but I know when you're lying to me" he smiles sadly, ruefully. "And you're lying to me right now"

"I'm not," I say hurriedly. "I mean every word I say" I try to sound as honest as possible, but he must be able to hear the strain in my voice. Stanley shakes his head, and I'm shocked to see tears in his eyes.

"Whatever they're going to do this year is going to be my fault," he says softly. "There's going to be an awful twist…because of _me"_

Xxx

**Maren**

_We shall be the best of friends now, won't we Maren?_

I sit up in bed, my heart pounding frantically in my chest. My hands are fisted in the silk sheets and I can feel the sweat matting on my forehead and neck, sticking my hair to the nape of my neck. I wipe a shaky hand across my brow, swinging my legs over the bed. The floor is cold on my bare feet.

I close my eyes, wishing that it really had been a bad dream, and not a memory of yesterday's events. How does Setrakus honestly expect me to be able to change the Loric's opinion with a few words? I stifle a sob and bury my head in my hands, wishing that this would all be over. I wish that the fear would end and I can finally be happy.

"Maren?" I look up slowly to see Kat hovering by my doorway nervously. A bruise is forming down the side of her cheek where she was hit, and a stab of guilt pierces my stomach. This is all my fault.

"Yeah?" I ask hoarsely. She wants to know what happened yesterday; I can see the burning curiosity in her eyes. I had staggered back from the meeting yesterday, feeling sick to my core. I had made it to bed, telling her I'd explain everything to her later.

"What happened yesterday?" she asks me gently, her kind face wary. "What happened?" she moves into the room slowly.

I want to tell her everything. I want to tell her the impossible task that I have to carry out otherwise my family will be killed. I want to cry and scream my frustration and fear. But instead I sit still on the bed, my lank hair hanging around my face. I feel tears build up in my eyes but I blink them away. I can't show weakness. I _can't._

"Nothing" I lie through my teeth. She can't know the truth otherwise she might be in trouble too. I have a feeling that no one but Setrakus and I are allowed to know what he said in that room yesterday. "It was just a meeting with my family" I lie.

Kat's face registers doubt. "Maren…"she pauses and then takes a few hesitant steps forwards. "You looked awful yesterday. As if someone had tried to kill you or something" she hesitates and I try not to laugh bitterly. If only she knew.

"It was weird seeing my family" I lie, standing up. I try to smooth my face free of all emotion, hiding my pain and fear from her. She can't know the truth; I have to protect her. "I was overwhelmed, that's all. It was nothing Kat, I promise" I plaster a fake smile on my face.

Kat shakes her head, steeling herself. "Don't lie to me Maren," she says fiercely. "I know you better than anyone else. I know that wasn't you being overwhelmed. Something happened yesterday that you're not telling me" her face softens. "You don't need to be embarrassed, no matter what happened" she reaches out for my hand, and I want to let her take it, but I can't. I tug my hand away, shooting her a glare.

"So now you don't trust me?" I snap, trying to make myself sound as bratty as possible. "Thanks, Kat, that's just what I need" I roll my eyes, and march away, biting down on my lip to stop myself apologising. I head to my bathroom, ignoring Kat's pleas, and then I slam the door behind me, looking it securely.

I lean my head against the door, barely aware of my rapidly beating heart. I tip my face up to look at the ceiling, feeling a few tears escape from my eyes. I hate shouting at Kat, especially when she has done nothing wrong. I can't stand to know that I've hurt her when she's just trying to help me.

"This is all on me," I whisper softly, knowing she won't be able to hear. "This is all my fault,"

My family might die if I fail. And the chance is that I _will_ fail. I sob, stuffing my fist in my mouth to stop more sobs escaping. Lilia, Catia, my mother…they're going to die, I know they will. I sob again, squeezing my eyes shut in pain. They're going to die because I was reckless in the Games. Because I wanted to take revenge, even though I knew it was never going to happen my way.

I sink down to the floor, steadying my nerves. I might not fail. I don't know how angry the Loric are everywhere. My guess is most are too scared to do anything against the Capital, so I just have to play on that fear. I can't ignite it like I might once have done. And I will have to try Stanley and the others doing what I want them to do.

But I know what else I have to do. I have to distance myself from everybody I know here, everybody I love, otherwise the mogs will use them too. The thought of the mogs capturing and hurting Kat, Sam, John, Marina, Ella…the thought is so painful I bend over as my stomach cramps in pain. I stifle another sob, clutching my stomach, trying hard not to make a noise.

_Be strong!_ I tell myself. _What happened to the girl at the beginning of the Games? She wouldn't have cared about any of them?!_

I close my eyes, thinking of what I used to be like. Maren, the cold girl at school who didn't care what others said about her. The girl who loved her little sister so much that she would risk punishment to feed her. The girl that knew when she was chosen for the Games that she would see death, and she would deal out just as much of it. The girl that along the way to this moment seems to have disappeared.

I know why of course. I've opened up and allowed myself to get to know people; Sam, John, Marina, Ella…I've let myself be friends with them. It all started when Sam helped me in the arena and then after that I saw the good side to people. I let myself be taken in by him and the others. I saw Sam's goodness, John's strength, Marina's kindness and Ella's innocence; I didn't see their bad sides and that's destroyed my defences. I twist my hands in my hair and tug hard, the pain bringing tears to my eyes.

"Stupid girl" I hiss. "You'll get them all killed because you were _stupid"_

I have to let them all go. I have to stop being their friend, stop talking to them, even stop smiling at them. It'll hurt but it'll be for the best. I straighten up in resolve; I have no other choice anyway. It's the only want that I can save my family and the others. As long as they're not associated with me then they're safe.

I have to be the old me now.

I switch on the shower, stepping into it quickly. My skin rises in goosebumps as the cold water rains down on me, and I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself. I don't turn it to hot though; I close my eyes and almost imagine the cold water freezing my feelings and washing them all away. I tip my face up to the water, letting it wash away my tears.

_Let them go_, _let them all go._

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**So, hope you enjoyed! Next chapter and they head off on the Tour! **

**Please review and thank you! :D**


	7. Chapter 6 - Navaria

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the incredibly lovely reviews once more! They're so sweet and I love reading them all! Thank you!**

**Answers to questions:**

\- **I didn't intentionally name 'Navaria' after Navrina, but it is very similar xD I actually stole a lot of the names from other books/ films/TV shows and some of them you'll probably know where they're originally from.**

\- **Guest - I also love how John stays the same, when everyone else starts to fall apart around him. I'm going to try and emulate that as much as possible in this story.**

**So please read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 6 - Navaria

**Marina**

I watch in fascination as the fields and forests speed past beneath me, the trees blurring into one huge green smudge. I can see the dark shape of a small town approaching, the spire of its church barely visible before the ship zooms over. The sun is starting to rise in the sky, its rays glinting through the windows of the ship, and landing on my face. It's warm, relaxing, despite this being the first day of the Victory tour. I could almost pretend we're taking a holiday instead of heading on another reminder of all the death and pain we've endured.

"I didn't realise just how big Lorien is" Ella whispers next to me, her face resting on her arms as she looks at the view with me. After so long apart it's been lovely to just be with her, if only for an hour. I think she feels the same because she's clung to me, barely leaving my side. On my other side Joseph laughs, looking at her fondly.

"It's a planet Ella, they tend to be big," he teases her. "Even ones that are occupied by another race" he adds. Only Joseph could make a joke out of the Occupation, and not make everyone depressed. Ella sticks her tongue out at him, her large eyes taking in another town that disappears beneath us. I smile, stifling another yawn, as I move into a more comfortable position on the large window seat that the three of us are hogging.

"I know what you mean" I back her up. "It's _huge_. It's incredible that the mogs are able to control it all considering it's size" I can't be bothered to monitor what I'm saying; it's too early to care.

True to her word, Adelina woke me up at the crack of dawn and dragged my sleepy self to the ship, where I've been made up for the midday ceremony. It took a good two hours, but now that it's over I'm allowed to enjoy the last hour of our journey before the ceremony. Fortunately I don't have to wear anything too fancy for the speeches: just a skirt, a blouse and a thick jacket; the dresses are for the evenings. My hair has been pulled up and I haven't got much make up on fortunately, because I think I would have smudged it by now.

"Have you learnt your speech?" Ella asks me, looking at the crumpled paper in my hands. I nod absently, glancing down at the words that I tried so hard to learn last night.

"I know most of it, but Adelina said I get some cards anyway to help me in case I forget" I tell her. "Besides, there's not much variety in it. It's all about Mogadorian progress and how we should be grateful for what they've done" I roll my eyes. Joseph scowls, his face abnormally dark.

"I'm worried about talking" Ella admits softly. "What if I mess up and look stupid?" she asks, her big eyes filled with worry. I laugh gently and smooth her hair back, slightly relieved that I'm not the only one with this fear.

"You'll be fine" I reassure her. "You're one of the bravest, smartest people I know" I smile. "You've survived the Games and you've not even 12 yet! You'll manage the speech without any problems" I say, a hint of pride in my voice. Joseph nods next to me, his face happy again. I can tell from the dark look in his eyes that he's not over his anger but is trying to be brave for Ella.

"Makes me look a bit weak really," he teases. "Stop being so brave Ella, you're putting me to shame" he grins. I roll my eyes, lightly elbowing him in the stomach.

"Well then it's up to _you_ to do something" I grin at him. He laughs, his anger leaving him completely as his eyes sparkle in the sun coming through the windows. It sounds really pathetic, but the green colour of his eyes are a much more beautiful green than that of the trees and fields outside.

"Don't be mean," he pouts. "You're supposed to be my friend," he complains. I laugh, and open my mouth to retort, when someone flops down on the seat next to us. Ella giggles as Stanley picks her up and then places her on his lap, making more room for us again.

"Hey" he smiles but he looks worried, and there's a dark light in his eyes. I remember that this is where Maddy, his partner from Round 1, grew up _and_ he has to talk today. He must be feeling sick; returning to the place that the girl he loved grew up. I can tell from the bags under his eyes that he didn't sleep well last night, he probably had too many nightmares about her death.

"The gang's back together again I see" he continues, trying to appear brave. I look around, noticing John and Sarah in their own corner, arms around each other, as Sam sits nearby, chatting with them. Maren is by herself and by the look on her face it's obvious that she doesn't want to be disturbed.

"It's so empty" I sigh. "I remember the last time we were on this thing…we were all going to the Capital for the Games" Ella's face falls and I berate myself inwardly for mentioning it; she's got enough to deal with and now I've made her feel worse. Her eyes fill with tears, even though she's trying to be as brave as possible, and guilt washes over me.

"Come on Marina, why don't you practice your speech" Joseph says hurriedly, sensing the change of mood. He's as eager as ever to cheer us up, even if it means reading out horrible biased scripts.

"Why not?" Stanley shrugs, his arms wrapped around Ella almost protectively. As if protecting her from _me._ "We've got an hour to kill" Ella smiles weakly, but I can still see the pain in her eyes as she looks around the ship.

I know she's noticing just how empty it is compared to last year's trip. I wonder if she's thinking about any of the dead tributes, particularly Hannah, the one who died last of all. The one who we got to know most out of all the other dead tributes. I try to block her memory out of my mind and focus on the present. No matter how sad or angry I feel nothing will ever bring the tributes back.

_Nice one Marina_ I berate myself as I spread my script out on my lap. _Making her mood worse, just as she was feeling happier. _Sometimes I wish that I could just say the right thing.

Xxx

I stand on the stage, the cold wind whipping around my legs and raising goosebumps on my bare skin. My skirt flutters around my legs, and I wish more than anything that I was allowed to wear trousers, like the boys. In front of me, the mayor of Navaria is saying a few brief words to the microphone but I'm not really interested in what he's saying. I can see the huge crowd beyond him, their faces filled with suspicion as they watch the stage, their threadbare clothes tugging against their thin bodies in the wind. All around the stage are huge speakers and cameras to capture the moment. Mog soldiers surround the crowds, guns in hands. Next to me, Stanley fidgets slightly, glancing down at his cards, his face emotionless. I can't see his eyes but I can imagine it's a different story.

My heart is beating frantically in my chest as I wait for my turn to step forward and say my speech. I glance down at my cards, the words swimming in front of my eyes and I look up again, noticing again the huge camera moving by the stage. This ceremony is going live all over the planet and a fresh bout of nerves washes over me. Oh god, I don't want to mess up.

"I am pleased to welcome our first Victor for today, Marina of Santa Teresa" the mayor finishes off. The crowd claps in excitement, their faces suddenly warm and welcome. It's like they're almost pleased to see me.

The mayor steps aside, and the microphone is all mine. I take a few more wobbling steps forwards, swallowing frantically. My hands are shaking and I pray that I don't drop the cards and screw this up. I reach the microphone and face the crowd, watching the expectant faces. It's like my presence and speech is welcome; not something to be dreaded but something to be celebrated.

"It's an honour-" my voice breaks with nerves and I clear my throat, my face flaming. I expect a few laughs in the audience but I just notice some people smiling, as if I've done something endearing or sweet.

"It's an honour to be here," I repeat again, looking down at my cards. God, what do I say next? The words swim in front of my eyes and I can't seem to focus on them. I look up in a panic and can see the camera staring right at my face, the red light blinking. I can see a few mog attendants frowning nearby, their concern panicking me more.

"It's an honour to be here after all we've been through" I glance down at the cards in a panic. A line from the script comes back to me and I cling to it before I forget. "If there's one thing that I've learnt over the past year it's that appreciating every moment is important, and I know that I'll remember this moment today as one of the highlights. Visiting Lorien as a Victor is an honour"

I look at the faces and watch as confusion settles over them. Were they expecting me to be rebellious, and talk against the mogs? I may be a Victor but I am by no means invincible. In fact, I am in a more precarious situation than ever before. Don't they realise I'm in as much danger as they all are, if not more? Besides, I'm only Marina, the quiet one who always obeys rules. I'm not like Stanley or Maren.

"The Mogadorians have been kind and gracious to offer us the opportunity to live and prosper in the Capital, the centre of Lorien" the speech comes rushing back to me and I smile in relief as I fluently repeat the words, no matter how much I objected to them. I watch the confused faces of the audience become closed off, even angry as I continue further and further into my speech. I look down at the cards, more memories of the speech flooding back. Now that I've started, it's like I can't stop.

"I believe in the Mogadorian progress more than anything after living in the Capital" the words leave a bad taste in my mouth but like the good, obedient Marina I've always been, I do what the mogs want me to do. "They want to help the Loric people prosper and achieve their full potential"

I hear a scatter of bitter laughter and I break off, confused and embarrassed. My cheeks heat up and I look to the side of the stage, wondering if I'm doing something wrong. A mog attendant gestures in annoyance and I finish off my speech, watching in nervous horror as the crowd watches me angrily, almost filled with hatred. What have I done? I'm only trying to watch out for me and the other tributes. Can't they see?

I turn to go when something hits the stage with a light thud, the thing rolling towards my feet. I jump back in shock, and I watch as a few mogs push into the crowd, searching for the person that threw the object, but the crowd is pushing back, shouting at the mogs. The camera isn't showing them all right, it's still focused on me and I try to remain calm, as I'm expect to.

"What do you really think?" I hear someone call, as the mogs finally manage to control the crowd. They fall silent and I can see the relief on the mogs' faces as they stand in front of the Loric, guns at the ready. The mayor ushers me back in the line, and I look at Joseph confused. I can't see the object that was thrown onto the stage; the mogs must have moved it already. I didn't even see what it was.

"Did I do something wrong?" I whisper softly. Joseph shakes his head, shooting me a tired but supportive look. It's clear from his look that even if he has to contend with a crowd of angry Loric, he'll always support me. I relax a little in relief, still feeling sick about my speech and the crowd's reaction, but at least I have him.

The Mayor steps forwards, saying a few words in a high pithed voice, the concern in his voice not hidden well. He gestures impatiently and next to me Stanley steps forwards. His hands are empty and I can't see the cards anywhere. My stomach clenches with fear when I see the determined look on his face.

I have a sudden, horrible feeling that everything is going to go very wrong.

Xxx

**Stanley **

Marina is head of me, saying her speech as perfectly as I expected her to. She says the words softly, as if ashamed of what she's saying, but she does as she's told all the same. I guess I can understand why, although it doesn't mean I agree. I watch as the crowd's eagerness turns to hatred over her passivity, and anger washes over them. I understand their anger. It's the same fury that's consumed me my whole life, the fury of being told what to do and what to believe in. It's the anger that got me in trouble in the Games.

I turn away from the restless crowd and focus on my surroundings. I hadn't noticed before, I was too focused on Marina and the crowd, but I can see a slightly elevated stage further back in the crowd, a woman with two children standing on it. Their faces are streaked with tears and when I see the screen behind them I understand. Maddy's face is plastered all over the screen, her large eyes staring unseeingly into the distance. She's wearing her tribute clothes; this photo must have been taken shortly before Round 1. My heart shudders with pain in my chest as I take in Maddy's family, the one she tried so hard to provide for when she was alive. Now they have nothing and that's all my fault.

I try to push away the thought of Maddy but her image is on the huge screen, her eyes watching me. They're sad, even before the Games began, as if she knew what was going to happen to her. Hot tears fill my eyes and my chest aches with pain at seeing her there, almost as if she's alive again. I can't do this; I'm going to break down in front of the crowd. I can't do this.

My eyes lock with Maddy's younger sister and I catch my breath at the resemblance; same features, same thoughtful eyes. They bore into mine accusingly, but not over her sister's death, over something else. It's almost a challenge, as if she expects me to do something or say something. I look down at my speech, an echo of Marina's, and realise for the first time that there's no mention of Maddy. She was born here, grew up here, went to school here and knew people here but here is no mention of her.

As if she never existed. As if she never counted.

Anger kindles in me and I shove the cards into my back pocket. Maddy died to save me and was buried in the Capital; she never even came home. The least she deserves and the least I can do is acknowledge her death and let her family know that she didn't die in vain. That she was the best part of the Games for me.

Marina steps back, her face white as the crowd mutters angrily. I can only imagine what things were in the speech that made them so angry. She looks devastated and I almost feel sorry for her…almost. The crowd's faces are filled with suspicion as I step forwards, my steps determined. I wonder if they think that I've been converted too. I reach the microphone, my eyes locking on Maddy's sister again. She looks so much like Maddy that it hurts.

"I'm supposed to talk about how wonderful the mogs have been" I begin, my voice bitter and barely controlled. "I'm supposed to talk about how my life is so much better than before" Anyone can hear the sarcasm in my voice and I notice the mogs eying me warily, as if getting ready to storm the stage. Any mere mention of discontent sends them into a fit of paranoia.

"But I'm not" I try to act calmer. "I'm here to talk about Maddy" the mogs visibly relax, since I'm not going to cause too much trouble by talking about a dead tribute. Or so they think. Yet they're still wary, still keeping an eye on me; they don't trust me at all.

"Maddy was my partner in Round 1" my eyes rest on her family. This is for me and them and no one else. "She was my best friend and the first girl I loved. She was the kindest, sweetest girl I had ever met; yet she was also the strongest. She was so brave and so selfless"

I stop and take a deep breath, looking down at the stage. My eyes are filled with tears and I can hear the faint sobs from her family as they clutch one another. The crowd is silent, waiting for me. I look up again and see pity on their faces. Pity…but _pride_ too. I see a few nodding, a few smiling, as if to encourage me. I take strength from their support and carry on.

"Maddy died to save me" I say, my voice still husky from the suppressed tears. "She died so that I could live. I thought it was a waste at the time" I look at her family again. "I thought I didn't deserve her sacrifice. I wanted to die along with her at one point"

I turn to the crowd, my grief turning to anger. "But I know why she did it now. She did it because she believed in me. She knew that there were things bigger than her and she knew that she had a role to play in it, even if it was her death" my words are faster and louder, and I notice some mogs pushing their way towards the stage. The crowd is making a noise now: they're clapping.

"Maddy knew that things would change" I know this is bad territory but I can't help it. "She believed in change and she believed in me. I just hope that I can fulfil her faith and-" the mogs are on stage now, their faces filled with thunder and I can see more gesturing frantically to cut the camera off. I only have seconds now till it's over.

I'm so pumped up on anger and grief that I do something I probably shouldn't. I press my fingers to my lips and then raise them, just like I did in the arena. Just like Sandor warned me never to do again. The crowd goes silent, their faces filled with hidden emotions I can't read well enough from here. The mogs grab my arms and the red light on the camera starts to blink, meaning it'll be off soon. There isn't much time.

The crowd stays silent.

Then some old man in the audience lifts his finger to his lips and raises them just like I did. He whistles a short tune, one I don't recognise, but the meaning behind it is clear. Rebellion. The crowd were supposed to keep quiet and this man didn't. That and with the sign, he's showing that he just doesn't care about the mogs.

The camera turns off and all hell breaks loose.

The mogs push through the crowd and like a switch goes off, they start to fight back, screaming and shouting. I hear a few shots and more screams, as the mogs fight through the crowd, trying to get to the man. I hear shouting and crying, and then the mogs holding my arms snap into action once more. I'm dragged across the stage to the Mayor's headquarters behind the stage, but even now I can see enough to know what's going on in front of me. Half the crowd are desperately trying to get away, whilst others are storming towards the mogs, their faces twisted up in rage.

"Stop it, please!" I hear someone beg, as the mogs drag us tributes away to the headquarters. I turn back around frantically to see what's going on. I hear more shots and screams, and then watch in horror as the old man that whistled is dragged onto the stage. His face is bloody, like he's been hit, and his clothes are ripped.

"Don't look!" I can see Ella nearby and Marina notices at the same time, reaching out for the younger girl and pulling her to the building as the mogs usher her back. Ella can't see this; she's too young. "Get her out of here!" I yell.

The mogs hurriedly push us to the doors, shouting and cursing. The crowd is properly screaming now and fighting back against the mogs, chanting something I can't make out. I hear more shots and then cries of pain, every shot making me wince. We're shoved through the doors by the mogs, who are so desperate to get rid of us that they can't control their violent anger, and I land sprawled amongst the other Victors. I sit up, watching in horror as the doors begin to shut behind us.

The crowd are by themselves, left to the mogs' fury. I can't protect them.

"No!" I whisper, staggering to my feet.

The doors are slowly shutting and I stumble forwards, growling in anger as Sandor tries to stop me. I can see still what's happening, even whilst the gap narrows as the door shuts. I watch as the old man is forced to his knees in front of the fighting crowd, as an example. A gun is pressed to his head. His eyes lock on mine, and then the doors shut.

I hear the gunshot, even through the walls.

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**Hope you all enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 7 - 'Everything's Fine'

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews as usual! I love them all, and hearing your thoughts about what's going to happen is so interesting! Thank you!**

**So, Happy Easter to everyone! I hope everyone has a lovely day with their families/friends and eats lots of chocolate! That's my plan anyway! :D**

**Just so everyone is aware, this is more the Catching Fire style and then (if everything goes to plan) there will be a Mockingjay style story afterwards :D**

**Please read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 7 – "Everything's fine"

**Stanley**

"What the hell was that?!" Henri screams, tearing his hands through his hair. "What were you trying to achieve there? Because people have died just for you to feel good about yourself!" he yells, slamming the door behind us. Sandor stands nearby, his face stern and filled with fury too. It's the first time that I really think that my mentor isn't going to support me on this.

"Maddy deserved to be recognised" my voice shakes, and I can feel my hands trembling. After seeing and hearing innocent people getting shot, the seriousness of the situation has hit me. I never meant for people to die; I just want to say what I felt. I feel sick and shaky and ill.

"Yes she did" Sandor cuts in before Henri can shout at me again. His voice is cold as ice. "But that wasn't about Maddy, was it Stanley? That was about you wanting to make yourself feel better about your guilt over her death" he shoots me a vicious glare. "And look what you've done" he shakes his head, turning away.

"For fuck's sake!" I yell, my anger replacing my sick feelings. "Did you hear Marina's speech? It was bullshit! I wasn't going to stand there and let the Loric think that we honestly believe in that!" I shout. Henri is suddenly in front of me, and his eyes are filled with black fury.

"_That was your job!" _he practically screams in my face. "_That was your job and you screwed it up!" _ He looks like he's about to punch me, but Sandor steps forwards and lays his hand on Henri's arm. Sandor's face, although still angry, is concerned as well.

"Let me deal with him" his voice is bitter. "You've got to clean that mess up" he shakes his head, and I can feel the disapproval in the room. "He's my Victor, it's only right that I sort him out" Henri steps back, his actions jerky from his suppressed anger.

"Sort it out," he snaps, face tense. "And God help me Sandor, if he does something like this again, you know I'll have no other choice" he says heavily, as the anger begins to be replaced by weary despair. He leaves the room, slamming the door behind him. Sandor sits down in a nearby chair, placing his head in his hands.

"What did he mean by no other choice?" I ask softly. I'm starting to calm down from earlier and the onslaught of images of dying Loric is making me feel sick again. The guilt that I've long gotten used to traps me in its vicious feelings and I feel nauseous. I sit down myself, taking deep breaths as I try to fight the waves of guilt and regret. People died today because of me. Mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters…they were all shot because of me.

"He meant that I'll be fired" Sandor sighs. "After the Games…they wanted to fire me for creating such a rebellious tribute" he smirks but there's no humour behind it. "Henri managed to stop them, saying that I had only prepared you, not made you into a rebel. I was barely allowed to stay" he sighs.

"I'm sorry" I stutter. It's not enough and we both know it. It barely covers how I feel, and it just sounds meaningless as it comes out of my mouth. Here's another person whose life I've ruined. There won't be anyone left the way I'm going.

"It's not good enough Stanley" Sandor snaps, his anger returning. "How many people do you think are dead now after today? How many children do you think saw their parents die?" he practically hisses. I wince, the deaths weighing heavily on me. He's right, he's so right. I shudder at the thought of the deaths and bile rises in my throat, until I'm vomiting on the floor. Sandor rises quickly, a cry of shock escaping his lips, heading over to me, and gently patting my back.

"Sorry" he whispers, seeming to realise just how heavily the deaths weigh on me. "That was unfair"

I back away, wiping my sweaty forehead with my shaking hand. I don't feel any better and I can just feel the claustrophobic guilt trapping me more and more into its deadly grip. Sandor kneels next to me, ignoring the sick on the floor nearby.

"Stanley…I know you mean well and want the mogs to be overthrown" he says gently, eyes wandering over the room to check for cameras. "But there are other ways to do that without getting people killed"

"I'm a murderer," I whisper, shuddering again. Hot tears fill my eyes and I stare at Sandor in renewed horror. "I'm just as bad as the mogs. I got the Loric killed-" a shudder runs through me and Sandor's hand on my shoulder tightens in sympathy. "I'm a murderer" I wretch but Sandor doesn't back away. He pulls me into a hug, his arms comfortingly tight around me.

"You're not" he reassures me. I know he means best but I can't get the images of the dying Loric out of my mind, and Maddy's sister's accusing eyes. She knew the truth. She knew what I am. "You're just a kid who's been through too much" he says softly. I begin to sob heavily and Sandor pulls back, looking scared.

"I'm a murderer," I say between heavy sobs. "I got Maddy killed and those people killed and god knows how many others," I sob, my voice turning hysterical. "I should never have been born!" Sandor shakes his head frantically, looking unsure of himself.

"Don't say that Stanley. You have to fight, this just isn't the way," he says. "There are other ways…I'll show you if you want. Just don't…don't beat yourself up about this. People all over Lorien will see this and know what you stand for" he doesn't say what but we both know. "People may have died today but you've done something even better. You've given everyone hope" I begin to calm down and I don't feel as sick as before, even though the guilt is still there. It will always be there. I wipe my cheeks shakily, looking down at the wooden floorboards.

"I miss her," I whisper brokenly. "I saw her family and they were so much like her, and then I saw her picture…It broke me, Sandor, I just…I was so angry and I wanted people to remember her, like I remember her every day…" I sob once. "I miss her". Sandor looks at me sadly, and I see pain in his eyes too.

"I know Stanley" his voice is hushed. "If anyone knows, it's me" He doesn't comfort me, saying it will get better in time, he's used those lines up enough times by now. He knows that I don't believe those lies anyway. "I know how you feel all too well"

Xxx

**John**

Sarah's hand gently strokes my hair away from my aching head, her fingers cool on my heated temples. She's humming softly under her breath and if I shut my eyes I could imagine that we're back in the Training Centre, safe from the Victory Tour. I shift slightly turning my head so it's buried further into the refuge of her neck, hoping that I can just forget everything for a few moments.

"I can't believe Stanley did that," Sarah whispers, her soft breaking the silence. "I wonder if he'll even be allowed to go on the rest of the Tour?" her voice is filled with worry.

I move so that I'm leaning over her. I study her carefully; her blonde hair is spread across the pillow, kind of like a veil, and her face is as beautiful as ever. But she has small bags under her eyes and her face is lined with weariness and worry. The events today have affected us all, but it seems Sarah's taken it particularly badly. She hates seeing death and pain more than most of us. That, and the Tour constantly reminds of the Games that we're all desperate to forget.

"Of course he will" I gently stroke her face. "They just won't let him speak" I smile ruefully. "I wish I knew what Henri and Sandor said to Stanley" I grimace, remembering our friend being dragged away by the two furious Mentors. I'd heard the shouting but not the content.

"I don't want to imagine. Henri gets scary when he's angry" Sarah laughs, but I can sense the worry in her voice.

"Well it won't happen again. I bet Marina will probably be speaking all the time now after her impeccable performance earlier" I say sarcastically. Sarah frowns slightly, her eyes darkening.

"Don't John" she replies. "She couldn't help it. What else was she supposed to do? We're not all like you, Maren and Stanley" she pushes me off gently, sitting up with her back to me. I frown and then move so I'm kneeling next to her, hating seeing her angry, especially when it's my fault.

"I'm sorry," I say softly. "I don't blame Marina at all…I probably would have done the same too" I admit. "I just…sometimes it's easier to imagine that I'd be as strong as Stanley…or Maren" I add. Sarah turns to me, her hair falling over her face. I brush it back at once, smiling fondly at her. Despite everything, I'll always have her.

"I know" she nods. "You have no idea how many times I've dreamed of being as cool or as strong as Maren" she laughs softly. "But I guess I'll have to find strengths elsewhere" she smiles. I lean forwards, impulsively kissing her lips, filled with fondness.

"I don't want you to be like Maren," I say honestly. "I love you just the way you are: sweet, kind…that's what makes you strong" I say earnestly. "You have strengths in different areas, you don't need to change" Sarah smiles softly, turning to face me fully. Her eyes are fond but concerned too as she gazes at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm making this all about me" she apologises. "How are you holding up…after your grandparents…"she trails off as I look away, blinking away the tears in my eyes. It's been a few days since I found out about their deaths but it still hurts as much as it first did. I can't believe they're gone, no matter how many times I try to wrap my head around it.

"I'm fine" I plaster a smile onto my face. "I guess…I should've known something like this was going to happen at some point" I manage. Sarah frowns, wrapping her arms around me.

"No, you shouldn't" she says, fiercely. "You had no idea it was going to happen. I'm so sorry John" she kisses my cheek and then holds me close as I fight away the tears. We fall silent, both of us wrapped up in our own thoughts.

I think back to that awful evening, when I'd gone looking for Maren, sure she was in trouble. It turned out she was fine, just visiting her family, but my own situation was a lot different. It was the evening that I'd found out about the extent of the mogs' revenge, even though Henri tries to insist that it's not them. I push the thought of my grandparents away, thinking about Maren instead. I never really found out what happened to her.

"I'm worried about Maren," I blurt out before thinking through properly. Although Sarah would never hold a grudge for Maren's harsh behaviour before Round 2, I know the two girls will never be best friends. I don't think it helps that I spend so much time with Maren every day either; more time than I even spend with Sarah.

"Me too" Sarah surprises me with her confession, her face lined with worry. "She was really distant on the ship this morning. Sam was saying she wouldn't say a word to him" she frowns, lines appearing on her forehead.

"I haven't seen her since her family visited" I add. "What if…what if one of her sisters died?" I look at Sarah in worry. Maren's close bond with her sisters is known to all of us; I can only imagine how messed up she'll be right now if something happened to one of them.

"I hope not" Sarah looks down, her face dark. "I tried…I tried to talk to her earlier too" she admits, looking up. I raise my eyebrows in shock; this is another surprise. I didn't realise they saw each other that much, if at all.

"And?" I push. She smiles sadly and shrugs.

"And nothing. She told me to go away…in a ruder way of course," she laughs, but there's still concern in her eyes. I roll my eyes at Maren's behaviour, glancing at the clock. The evening ceremony's in a few hours; it's only a meal and a small ball, but we all have to attend. I still have time to talk to Maren before the event.

"Go" I turn in surprise to see Sarah's eyes watching me. There's a rueful smile on her face. "Talk to her. I know you won't relax until you've spoken with her," she laughs softly. I frown, guilt washing over me. I should stay with my girlfriend, making sure the earlier events haven't upset her too much. God knows they've sickened me enough to want to block them out of my memory.

"No, I'll stay" I say feebly. Sarah laughs properly and lightly shoves my arm.

"Go!" she grins. "We'll have plenty of time to be with each other this evening! Besides, if you don't talk to her, you'll be frowning all evening and I want to have fun after what happened earlier. I want to forget" her face darkens slightly at the mention of the disastrous speeches but she's still smiling.

"Fine" I stand up, feeling better despite myself. I _do_ want to talk to Maren, to see how she got on with her family and to let her know what the mogs have done to mine. That's what friends do; they talk. "I'll see you later" I bend down, lightly kissing her lips. Sarah kisses back softly, and then reluctantly shoves me away. We both know that if I don't go now, I'll never go.

Xxx

"What do you want?"

To say Maren is being rude is an understatement. Her face is filled with hostility as she leans against her doorframe, her arms crossed. I wonder if she's angry about what the mogs did earlier; I can hardly blame her, after all they killed innocent people. And all because Stanley said something stupid. If they kill someone every time he says something idiotic, then there won't be anyone left on the planet.

"I just wanted to see if you were all right," I say softly. "I heard your family visited the other day, and then after this afternoon…" I trail off at the glare she shoots me. I can tell she's trying to seem casual by the way she's leaning against the doorframe, but she's uptight; her body is far too rigid.

"Well I'm fine," she snaps. "And they're fine. So you can go now" she turns to go but I reach out and lightly take a hold of her arm. She freezes, her eyes flitting to mine at once. To anyone else she'd look intimidating, terrifying but all I see is a very vulnerable girl. She's scared of something.

"What happened?" I ask gently. Her lower lip trembles slightly, as if she's about to cry and then she straightens up, jerking her arm away from me. It's almost as if I imagined that she was vulnerable only seconds ago.

"Nothing" she replies, her voice slightly warmer than before. "They're all perfectly fine, as if I never even existed" she replies. I can see why she's upset at once; she thinks her family are moving on to a life without her and she wants to join them more than anything.

"I'm sure they miss you" I say softly, a lump in my throat as I think of my grandparents. I miss them so much it hurts and I'll never be able to see them again. Maren doesn't realise how lucky she is.

"It's not the point though," she mutters. I look down, trying to hide my anger with her. She doesn't realise how bratty she sounds, complaining about a family that is alive and well, whilst mine is dead. I'm by myself now and all Maren can do is complain about herself.

"John…" her voice is hesitant. "Is everything…is everything all right?" I look up, trying to hide my anger. It's not her fault she doesn't know about my grandparents' deaths. I should tell her, but after seeing her hostility to me earlier I suddenly long to be back with Sarah, safe in her arms once more. I want to be away from Maren's anger.

"Everything's fine" I plaster a smile on my face. "I just wanted to make sure you were fine" I swallow hard. "I'll see you around" I turn to go but she reaches out, lightly taking a hold of my hand. I jump slightly in shock, turning to see her face filled with conflict.

"You would…you would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?" she asks, looking tormented. Guilt surges through me but I nod, smiling falsely at her.

"Of course" I lie. "But everything's fine"

Xxx

**Adam**

"If I die, I'm blaming you" I glance down at the completed application form in my hands, wishing that I didn't have to do this. I could hypothetically turn around and dump it in the bin, but then I would be terrorised by my own personal ghost. And I'm really not in the mood for that.

"Don't be a drama queen" Hannah tosses her hair. "It's just an application form. You're just…what does your father say…?" she pauses and then her face lights up. "You're just honouring the family name," she laughs. I roll my eyes, neatly folding the sheet up and sliding it into an envelope.

"Don't" I shake my head. "You know he thinks the only way I can further our name is by dying" I grimace, looking round the empty surveillance room. It's lunch and all the mogs have gone to collect their food before it goes cold like the good obedient workers they are. I stayed behind to fill in my application form, but I'm starting to have serious doubts about this.

"Don't be silly" Hannah rolls her eyes, stretching her legs out on the table in front of me. Her ghostly legs pass through the monitors, creeping me out slightly. "You know your father will come to terms with you being a Gamemaker. He might even be proud" she shrugs, studying her nails.

"He'll think that I'm trying to kill my race off!" I retort, staring down at the dreaded envelope. Maybe I should just throw it in the bin…I'm not going to get the position and if my father hears about this then there'll be no end of troubles for me.

"Maybe at first…" Hannah frowns. "Or maybe not. You've moved up in the position for Surveillance" she points out, nodding at the board. I've moved from 49 to 30 which was pretty impressive, if I don't say so myself. Ever since Hannah's talked me into applying for Gamemaker, I've been trying to be the perfect mog citizen.

"He'll think it's all a game…a trick" I shake my head, moving to drop the letter in the bin. "This is useless, I'm not going to get the role and I'll end up with my throat slit even if I do"

Hannah suddenly appears in front of me, her face serious and pretty terrifying. Her nose is almost pressed against mine…except in her form it would probably pass right through. The thought creeps me out.

"Don't you _dare!_" she snarls. "You _will_ do this, it's the least you owe me!" she snaps. "It's not hard, and you won't get in trouble. Your mother will be delighted that you want to do this role, and your father will eventually come round to the idea. He'll want to believe that his son isn't capable of treachery. So just man up and do it!" she growls.

I stagger back, stunned by her outburst. She hasn't talked to me like that after I first met her, when we were fighting in the Training Centre. I haven't seen such anger, or hatred, on her face for a very long time and it hurts. I look down at the envelope, wanting to argue back but there's not much I can say to her. I know she's right, and part of me does want to help.

"Fine" I snap, turning away from her, letting her feel the waves of anger and resentment emanating from my mind. I can feel her anger turn to sympathy but I don't let that sway me. Not this time.

I march towards out of the Surveillance room, looking longingly at the cafeteria with all its food. I carry on though, leaving temptation behind, and head over to the Gamemaker's part of the Training Centre, knowing that deep down Hannah is right. The least she deserves after everything that has happened to her is my help. Besides, I promised to help her and this is the only way I can do that. If I can just save one Loric tribute then everything would be worth it.

"Surveyor Sutekh!" I turn at the voice and grimace when I see another mog heading towards me. It's Surveyor Kurt, a lowly IT guy that is only ranked 257 on our list. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fired soon. But he's a nice enough guy and let's me sit with him at lunch sometimes which is more than can be said for the others. Even though Ivan seems to have managed to evade the stigma of losing the Games, it seems to have clung to me with a force impossible to shake off. Part of me wonders if my father plays a role in that.

"Hey" I smile, trying to hide the envelope in my hands. Not that it matters, there's a reason Kurt is 257 on our list. He doesn't seem to be aware of anything. "Is everything all right?" I ask.

"Sure" he beams at me, showing me a similar looking letter in his hands. "I decided to apply for the spare Gamemaker position!" he tells me. I plaster a smile onto my face, hoping that he won't see through it.

"That's great" I lie. He'll never get it; he's far too low in IT to even be considered a Gamemaker. I have no idea why he thinks he can apply for the role. "Is that where you're going now?" I ask. He nods, that grin still on his face.

"Wanna walk with me?" he offers. I nod, tucking the envelope into my jacket pocket when he's not looking. I'm going to have to slip it into the application box when he's not looking; I don't want my only friend to think I'm competing with him.

"Great news about your brother by the way" he chatters away as we head over to the Gamemakers quarter. I frown in confusion; what does he mean? Last I heard Ivan was in some obscure city far away from here…has he been promoted for some act of bravery or something?

_Probably killed a Loric kid,_ Hannah has crept up on me, her face fixed in a sarcastic smile. _Your kind seems to value that above all else._ I shoot her a glare, grateful for Kurt's lack of attention. Hannah sticks her tongue out at me in response.

"What about Ivan?" I reply after a short silence. Kurt frowns in confusion, looking at me narrowly.

"You mean you don't know? I would have thought your father would tell you" his voice sounds slightly awed when mentioning my father…if only Kurt knew what he was really like.

"No" I look ahead, my voice bitter. "We don't talk much"

"Probably because of the Games" Kurt continues cheerfully; seemingly glad to be supplying me with gossip. "I mean you guys lost, and then you end up in Surveillance. At least Ivan is-" I cut him off with a look. Nearby, Hannah flips Kurt off; although she argues with me, she's also kind of protective over me as well.

"Anyway" Kurt blushes slightly and returns to the topic at hand. "Ivan's coming back to the Capital for some reason. Apparently he's been doing really well in the districts and they want to reward him. Isn't that great?" he beams at me. I focus on the huge doors in front of us, the words 'Gamemakers' over the top, signifying the start of the Gamemakers' quarters.

"Yeah" I scowl. "That's great"

In reality, I'm furious. I've barely seen Ivan since he killed Hannah and I just don't know if I can control myself when I next see him. The fact that my mother and father idolises him, doesn't help at all. It just makes me hate him even more, if that's possible.

_Just breathe,_ Hannah is surprisingly calm, considering her killer is about to come back. _Act like you're happy, not pissed off. _I try to do as she says but I have a feeling the smile on my face looks as fake as it feels.

"So, do you think they'll tell me what's going on for the 15th Games when I audition?" Kurt switches subject, apparently unaware of me seething quietly next to him. "Because I am _so_ desperate to know," he grins. "Whatever it is, I bet it'll be great"

"I have no idea" I shake my head. The application box is just by the front desk, and I notice a mog eyeing us up suspiciously. We probably don't look Gamemaker material: two skinny young guys, one still covered in spots, and the other looking pissed off.

"This is it" Kurt bounces forwards, putting the envelope in the box. He whoops, as if he's done something incredible, and I feel myself blushing in shame at being with him. A few mog soldiers nearby laugh and look at one another in amusement.

"I'm just going to ask the mogs something" I improvise, needing to put the slip in but needing to get rid of Kurt. "Something about Ivan" Kurt shrugs, not apparently aware of a lie when it slaps him in the face. He turns around, probably feeling like his work for today is done.

"Sure, I'll see you later then" he saunters off towards the exit, walking as though he's Gamemaker already.

I pull the envelope out of my pocket, turning it over and over. I don't want to do this, nowhere near as much as Kurt does, yet Hannah's right, I have a far better chance than he does. I could do some good if I get the role, I could help some Loric kids survive even. Surely, that's worth the price of losing one friendship.

_And Ivan's coming back, _Hannah reminds me. It does the job: my anger towards my brother rises and stifles me, filling me with a black fury so intense that it shocks me. I could get a position just as good as his, if not better. I could save Loric kids from future Ivans if I get the job. I could even punish him for killing Hannah, if not publically, then privately. I could make him pay for it. My anger turns to steely determination and I take a few steps forwards, slipping the envelope into the application box.

Xxx

**Sophia**

My eyes are fixed on the TV screen, desperate for some kind of news. Not that I think the mogs are going to mention anything about what happened in Navaria earlier this afternoon, but I'm still eager to know what went on after the cameras cut off. I hope Stanley's all right, although I'm pissed off with him for putting himself in danger in the first place. So what if he cared for Maddy and wanted everyone to remember her? He should still take better care of himself in future and stop getting everyone into trouble.

"Anything?" Marcus walks in, drinks balanced in his hands. I shake my head, barely glancing at him.

"Nothing" I groan. "It's like it never happened" I knot my hands in my hair, tugging in annoyance. "Damn it, I just want to know if they're all right!"

Marcus sighs, placing the drinks down on the table. "They will be" he insists. He's been saying it all afternoon, ever since Stanley's stupid speech. "They can't kill the Victors, especially not on the Tour" he shakes his head. "Stanley just won't be allowed to say anything else in front of the camera"

I nod, knowing he's right but sometimes common sense bows down to emotion. I switch the TV off with telekinesis, and stare down at the floor, wishing that I could be on the Tour right now. Wishing that I could stop Stanley from being an idiot and just listen to common sense for once. And I wish that I could just protect him from himself; he's his own worst enemy sometimes.

"Don't worry, Stanley will be ok" Marcus says, a smile on his face. He looks amused and I shoot a glare at him, but that doesn't seem to put him off. "If only he could see how worried you are now" he chuckles.

I roll my eyes. "Shut up" I mutter weakly, not in the mood to argue back. Marcus won't stop grinning though, and to be honest I can't blame him. If I were in his position, I would probably be the same. It's probably the first time he's seen me wound up over someone; after the incident with Anya, he's doubtlessly imagined that I don't even have feelings.

"You like him, don't you?" he pushes. I look at his face for the first time, and can see his amusement, but as well as that I can tell he's being genuine. He won't mock me if he knows he's upsetting me.

"I don't know" I shrug. "We get on and I guess he knows me better than most…" I trial off, looking away from his piercing blue eyes and to the window instead. Outside, rain patters lightly against the window, and the sky is overcast. "But it's hard. With everything that's going on, I don't know if I can focus on feelings" I shrug.

Marcus' face turns sad. "Sophia…" he begins and I can tell a full on speech is coming. Probably something about freedom to love who you want and all that crap. I hold my hand up, shaking my head. I'm so not in the mood right now.

"Look Marcus, I know that you've been used to the mogs talking about how _amazing_ things are and how everything turns out for the best" I roll my eyes. "But now that you're here you've got to realise that the real world _sucks_ and the mogs are our enemies, not our friends" I snap. Marcus' face is blank with shock and I realise how bratty I must have sounded.

"Sorry" I sigh, reaching for his hand. "I shouldn't have-"

"No, you're right" Marcus looks down, his cheeks turning red. "I guess I'm just not used to the real world yet," he says sadly. I feel like a bitch now for being so horrible to him, and although I know he would never hold a grudge, I still feel awful. Damn it, I hate being the bad guy.

"Look…" I sigh. "Let's just forget all about Stanley and the Tour…let's focus on good stuff" I scramble around desperately in my mind for something good, but I just can't seem to think of anything. Although Marcus is a much more optimistic person compared to me, it seems he has the same problem.

"It's not exactly a happy topic…but I was wondering if you'd heard about the Anniversary Games" he finally says. My head snaps up at once, eyes focusing on him instantly.

"What? What are you talking about?" I ask urgently. We haven't heard anything about the 15th Anniversary Games, which sounds like it would be fun, but I can only imagine what fresh hell the mogs are planning for the tributes. Usually, the Calling for the next year's tributes takes place during the current Games, but that didn't happen this time.

Which is _never_ good.

"They're announcing the 'twist' for the Anniversary Games at the end of the Tour" Marcus says, his face thoughtful. "When the Victors are back in the Capital, Setrakus Ra will announce the plans at his Celebration Party, you know the one they hold at his estate"

I frown, thinking hard. The Victory Tour always ends at one of Setrakus' many estates where he puts on a massive show as a celebration. He usually says a speech too, but it's never related to the Games…until now. Which is also very worrying.

"It's like he's almost waiting to see what happens on the Tour, to decide what happens in the Games" I say slowly, suspiciously. Marcus, who it appears is nowhere near as sceptical as me, shakes his head.

"I'm sure that's not the case," he says at once. "It's just to put on a big show. End the Tour with a bang…after all, I suppose it's the 15th year of the Occupation…they'll want a big celebration" I look at his large honest eyes and wish that he could just see clearly for once.

"You can't honestly believe that" I mutter. Marcus just shrugs, and reaches for the TV remote, apparently bored with the conversation and my cynicism.

"Well I do," he says, gently. He switches the TV on, surfing through the channels as if to end of the conversation. I get the hint and stand up, feeling annoyed and angry. How dare he think that I'm just being over the top and paranoid? Doesn't he see what the mogs are really like?

"I'm going to sleep" I head over to my room, my voice cold. "Feel free to stay as long as you like" I snap. I don't want to be angry with him but I just can't help it. He's supposed to be my ally.

"Sophia, wait" he calls but I slam the door behind me. I stalk to my bed, throwing myself down and shutting my eyes, wishing that I just forget everything and sleep. I just wish I could forget everything.

Xxx

_The arena is silent as the final Loric kids file in, their faces filled with the same fear that we're all feeling. I hold on to Corban, my older brother, as he towers over me, his familiar face lined with tension. He looks down at me, sensing my nerves and boredom, and smiles reassuringly._

_"__It'll be all right, Soph," he says softly. "They won't choose you" I nod, looking away from him and down towards the stage where the Mogadorian Leader is taking his place. To an older, less spoilt kid, Corban's words might seem false, but they mean the world to me. Corban says I'll be fine, so it _must_ be true. He would never lie to me._

_Setrakus Ra begins to talk but I zone out, looking around the arena. I want to be back at home, playing in the market with Pria and Roshan. I want to stuff my face with my mother's amazing cooking and then sleep, forgetting that today ever happened. I don't want to be here, watching as kids go down to be killed. I'm hot and tired and want to go home to have a bath._

_An idea suddenly hits me. "Do you want to play Rush when we get home?" I whisper to Corban. He looks down at me and plasters a smile onto his face. At the time it seemed normal but just now, years later, do I understand how naïve I was then. _

_"__Of course, now listen" he replies, concerned about making noise. He gestures to the front, to get my attention on the Mogadorian leader once more._

_Setrakus begins to pick names, but I don't listen. It's not interesting and besides, my friends haven't been called so it's all right. I turn away from the kids at the front and focus on some nearby mogs, particularly their weapons. I wince a little at the size and deadliness; I would never want to hold one of those…ever. I would probably shoot myself._

_"__How many left?" I ask Corban, shifting on my feet. He shoots me a look and squeezes my hand. At 17, he doesn't understand a 14 year-old girl's innocence or naivety. _

_"__Five more" he replies quietly. I huff and crane my neck to look at the front again. My feet hurt and I smell bad._

_"__Sophia Arnaud" _

_I jump at the sound of my name, barely aware of Corban's tight grip on my hand. What's going on? Have I…have I been chosen? I peer around, sure there is some kind of mistake, but everyone around me stares at me in horror._

_"__Sophia Arnaud!" Setrakus Ra repeats when he doesn't see any movement. Corban releases my hand and gives me a light shove towards the stairs. At the time it seemed cruel, it felt like he was abandoning me. But only now do I remember the tears streaking down his face._

_I stagger down the steps, feeling numb. This is a joke; it has to be. Corban must have just been playing around and the mogs are in on it. Maybe it's to make me pay more attention in class or so he can choose what to play in the evening. Maybe it's just because of the trick I played on him last week in front of his girlfriend, embarrassing him. _

_Deep down, I know it's not._

_I reach the front, taking my place in the front rows. More names are called but I'm not interested in them. I crane my neck, hot tears in my eyes as I search for my brother, but I can't see him. A sob escapes my lips as the severity of the situation hits me. I'm in the Games. I'm going to die._

_A hand slips into mine and I turn to see a small boy, about my age, with blue eyes and messy brown hair. He's crying too but he attempts a smile, trying to be reassuring._

_"__Don't worry," he whispers. "We have a year to train" he looks like he's trying to reassure himself more than me. I nod, but I don't feel better. I feel numb. I watch as Setrakus Ra finishes up calling the names, and steps down in front of the rows of tributes._

_"__Your tributes for the 13__th__ Annual Funeral Games!" he announces._

_The arena bursts into applause._

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**Hope you all enjoyed! **

**Please review and have a lovely Easter!**


	9. Chapter 8 - India

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I love them all and thank you!**

**Someone asked when the action would start in this story. Since I'm going through the Tour first and then the Games' warm-up, the real action won't start at least until chapter 15. But although there's not a lot of action, I'm hoping that some of the things going on make up for that.**

**Thank you and please read on!**

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Chapter 8 – India

**Marina**

I stand on the balcony, rubbing my arms in the cold air. My breath fogs in front of me, as my skin erupts in goosebumps from the icy wind. Above me the stars sparkle in the darkness, their dim glow barely lighting up the scenery in front of me. I can only just make out the massive hulking shapes of the mountains in front of me, their dark sides covered in thick forest.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Joseph joins me, his voice wistful. I nod, resting my hands on the cold metal balcony, looking down below. The huge hotel complex we're in is just on the outskirts of the city India, nestled at the foot of the huge mountain range along the Eastern side of Lorien: the Mountains of Ice and Fire. No one has ever made it past the mountains; they're too high to fly over and too dangerous to pass through. No one knows what is beyond the mountains.

"You lived here, in the city?" I ask softly. Joseph shakes his head, pointing to a small patch of glittering lights further up the mountain: the glow of a small village.

"No, I lived in that town there for the first part of my life" he explains. "It was where they keep the orphans and other undesirables; we weren't allowed into the city until we were old enough to work" he shrugs. "But I ran away when I was ten and then lived in the forest. I couldn't stand the orphanage and just wanted to escape," he sighs, his face dark.

I know the story of course, he's told me many times about his life. But being in the actual place that he grew up in is different from hearing stories. Now that I can see the thick black trees with the unforgivable cold, I can fully understand just how resourceful Joseph is to have survived that long in this place.

"What was it like? Being in the forest by yourself?" I ask softly. I see him turn his head out of the corner of my eye but I continue to gaze into the distance, awed by the dark magnificence of the mountains.

"I was never completely alone" he finally replies. "There were the animals, you see. That's how I came to shape shift actually. There was this one animal, a black rab-" he suddenly stops, and I can see a blush on his cheeks in the darkness.

"What's wrong?" I finally ask. He shakes his head, pursing his lips. I decide not to push him; it must be painful being back here after all this time. The least I can do is keep quiet and make it easier for him to cope.

"I'd do anything just to have one more day in that place" he finally says. "Just a few more hours" he shakes his head, looking embarrassed with himself. I take his hand, noticing how warm his skin is, despite the freezing cold.

"Let's do it then" I say, straightening up. After obeying the mogs for months, I want to do something rebellious. I want to escape, if only for a few hours.

"Do what?" Joseph frowns. I grin and gesture out to the forest, the black trees looking intimidating in the darkness.

"Let's go out into the forest. You may never get the chance again," I say softly. "Besides, the others will cover our backs for a few hours…they'll tell the mogs we went out to explore or something" I smile, squeezing his hand. "You can't pretend you don't want to go" I grin.

Joseph looks out at the forest longingly, his face looking vulnerable and young. I would be lying if I said I was desperate to go out in this weather, but knowing that this is what Joseph wants above all makes my decision easier. After everything he's done for me, this is the least I can do.

"If they find out, they'll punish us" he says weakly, as if that's the only excuse he can think of. I raise an eyebrow at him, a smile making its way onto my face. I can tell he's hooked, despite himself.

"Since when are _you_ scared of authorities?" I challenge. He grins, then turns to look back at the forest again, his face still filled with conflict. I can tell he wants to go but knows he _shouldn't _go.

"And I'd like to see it too" I try one last attempt. "I'd like to see your old home, where you grew up" I can tell it works at once, the thought of doing something for me.

"Well maybe we could" he looks out at the forest, but before he can do anything more, Reynolds steps out of the open door, surprising us both. His face is kind, an amused light in his eyes as he takes in Joseph and I. I don't know why but I pull my hand out of Joseph's.

"I hope you're not planning anything," he teases, probably knowing full well what we are up to. My cheeks heating up to a bright red won't help the matter at all.

"We were just thinking of seeing the forest," Joseph says honestly. I look at him alarmed, expecting Reynolds to start telling us off for even thinking about that, but his mentor simply laughs. I can't help but think that if it were Adelina she would be shouting at us about rules and regulations.

"Maybe another time" Reynolds says kindly. "We've had a long day of travel today and you have your speech tomorrow" he adds. Joseph nods, looking disappointed, but accepting as well. I look down, anger kindling in me. Why do we always have to follow rules? Why can't we just have one day off?

"Curfew is in half an hour," Reynolds adds, turning back to the main room. He winks at Joseph, making the two of us blush, and then heads back inside. I look into the room behind me, the common room where we're allowed to chill in and hang out with the other tributes before we go to our own rooms for bed. I can only see a few mentors there; I don't think many of us want to socialise anymore. Especially not with me, not after my speech in Navaria.

"Maybe another time then" Joseph leans his elbows on the railing, looking out at his old home. I nod, leaning on the balcony next to him. "I might head in now, you coming?"

"Soon" I repeat softly. I don't want to though, not when I can imagine all of the accusing looks sent my way. I thought I wouldn't be alone in reading the cards out, but all the others seem to blame me. I can feel Joseph looking at me now and then I feel a light touch on my cheek as he tucks some hair behind my ear.

"You know, I don't blame you for sticking to the cards in Navaria" he finally says softly. I feel tears burn behind my eyes, but I fight them back. I'm sick of crying, sick of never being able to sleep because of terrible nightmares that haunt my nights. I'm sick of feeling scared, of feeling as if I've done something wrong.

"Tell that to the others" my voice is bitterer than I expected it to be. "They think I'm siding with the mogs. They think I'm one of them now" I look down at my hands.

"No they don't" Joseph shakes his head, placing one of his hands on mine. "They're just…there's a lot going on. The 15th Anniversary Games are going to be announced soon and this Tour is just brining back memories of the Games. We all tried to hard to forget but being here and saying the speeches just brings everything back," Joseph sighs, his face looking haunted. "They're just stressed and taking it out on you"

"It's not fair" I sigh, leaning against him. My head rests on his shoulder and I can feel his arm move so that it's wrapped around my shoulders. "They shouldn't judge me for doing what they'll probably do themselves" I say bitterly.

"I know" Joseph soothes. "They're just…I don't know, we're all just tired. They'll forget about it when it's their turn to do their speeches" he shakes his head, the ends of his curls brushing my hair.

"What are you going to do tomorrow?" I ask him curiously, deciding to change the subject. I don't want him to be angry with me. "Follow the speech or say what you want to say?" I look up at him. He meets my eyes and I can see just how vulnerable and scared he is. How nervous he is of messing up.

"I don't know Marina" he leans down and presses his cheek against the top of my head, releasing a sigh, as if he was in pain and it's gone. "I just don't know"

Xxx

**Maren**

It's all going wrong. Horribly, disastrously wrong. I pace in the waiting room, my hands clenched in fists at my sides, a glare on my face. The other Victors keep their distance, probably wondering why I'm in such a bad mood. It's good that they stay away; if one even tries to talk to me there's no knowing whether I'll be able to keep my temper.

I could _kill_ Stanley for his stupid speech. All I had to do was make sure that the others didn't say anything that could possibly start more rebellion in the districts and I've already failed. Part of it wasn't my fault: it was clear with the crowd in Navaria that they didn't need much persuasion, but still, I should have done something. That crowd was the exact thing that Setrakus was trying to avoid and I did nothing.

The thought of my sister's tear-stained face haunts me and I spin on my heels, turning to face the door, breathing heavily. I try to push the thought of Lilia out of mind, and instead focus on Setrakus Ra and his demands. I just need to keep calm, not panic and stop further things happening. That should be easy…right?

"You're heading on stage in ten minutes" the Mayor says, clearly bored and desperate to go. He adjusts his suit over his huge stomach and I feel a look of disgust washing over my face. I notice Stanley has the same look on his face and anger washes through me; yeah, it would be fun to punch him right now.

"And this time please let's try to stick to the cards" Henri adds, focusing on Joseph who will be talking today. He looks white, as if he's barely able to talk, but he nods all the same. I feel a bit sorry for him, but compared to me, he's got it easy. He just has to read a speech, not calm down the whole of Lorien. He doesn't have the fate of his family resting on his shoulders.

"Yeah, let's not try and be all revolutionary like 'wise guy' over there," Cody mutters, shooting a look of distaste at Stanley, who straightens up at once. Like me, he looks like he's ready for a fight.

"What did you say?" he growls. Cody smirks; looking smug at having wound Stanley up. Not that it's hard of course. Part of me supports Cody, since after all Stanley caused all of my problems. He was the one who pulled the stupid Loric symbol, which led to me getting roped in to the mogs' stupid task. And Stanley just stands there smirking, as if he has no care in the world. He probably doesn't; his family must be safe, unlike mine, whose lives hang in the balance.

"Break it off guys" John shakes his head, fidgeting in his suit. "Now isn't the time". A flash of guilt washes over me as I look at him. He's going through a rough time having to deal with his grandparents' deaths and I've done nothing but shout at him. Yet a selfish part of me thinks that at least he doesn't have to worry now. He doesn't have anything to be blackmailed with.

"You don't agree with what I said?" Stanley continues as if he didn't hear a thing that John said. "You think that the mogs are in the right, and they're the 'master race'?" his voice is mocking and bitter. "You think if you're going to suck up to them that they're going to reward you?"

Cody rolls his eyes. "Maybe I do think that" he grins. "Maybe it's already happened. Why don't you just wake up Stanley? No speech of yours is ever going to change anything and it's better to be on the winning side, than on the losing side," he laughs cruelly. "Besides, you don't exactly have a way with words. That speech of yours? It was shit" he grins.

Stanley lunges forwards with a yell and I react without thinking. Maybe it's because of my underlying anger with him that has caused me to be in such trouble. Maybe because I'm desperate for a fight after months of being cooped up. Or maybe it's because I'm seeing Stanley as Setrakus Ra and not Stanley at all.

I grab Stanley by the arm and use his momentum to spin him around, throwing him to the ground. He struggles to his feet but I put my foot on his chest and shove him back down to the floor. John moves to intervene but I shoot him a glare, pushing down on Stanley so he won't move. I can see the others moving forwards but then stop, as if something on my face seems to stop them in their tracks.

"Maybe you should both just grow up" my voice is so angry that I barely recognise it. "You're acting like little kids and I'm _sick_ of it," I snarl. Stanley struggles again but I push him down with telekinesis, and he grunts in pain.

"Maren, stop it, calm down" John says, holding his hands out as if I'm some kind of rabid animal. I shoot him an angry glare, so worked up that I don't even realise how over the top I'm going. After days of fear for my family, I _so_ need to punch something. And Stanley is the perfect punch bag.

"_I_ need to calm down?" I shout. "This guy needs to calm down!" I push down harder on Stanley. "_He_ needs to sort his shit out and stop ruining it for everyone else!" I can see some of the mentors hurrying forwards but no one seems to be keen on intervening. Despite knowing that I'm being stupid, and over the top, it's nice to be the tough one once again.

"What are you talking about?" John inches closer. "Look, let him go and then we can talk. You're hurting him"

I can see Joseph edging in on the other side, as if to tackle me. Idiots, I can take them down with my eyes closed if I want to. I snort in derision and press down further onto Stanley with telekinesis, just to prove a point. He writhes beneath the legacy, gasping for breath, and I feel the tiniest feeling of guilt. Nearby, Sarah has her hands pressed over her mouth in horror, her eyes watching with terror as John inches closer to me. As if _I'm_ the threat.

"Maren, let him go" Marina says softly, stepping forwards too. "He hasn't done anything"

I fix them all with an infuriated glare. "If you only knew what the hell he had done then you wouldn't stand there and say that!" I yell at them. Cody stands nearby, a smirk on his face. "He's just ruined everything again and they're going to-" I'm interrupted from my words when Stanley moves from underneath me, knocking my leg away and kicking me backwards. He leaps to his feet, trying to move away from me.

I right myself at once, moving forwards to tackle him but then arms have locked around me, dragging me back and away from him. I struggle slightly but I know it's pointless; Joseph has stepped between Stanley and I, and the Mentors have finally stepped forwards to do something. Kat's face is filled with anger but there's concern there too. She looks at me as if she's never even seen me before.

"Enough!" Henri yells in anger, putting himself in the middle of the whole confrontation. "_Enough!"_

"Maren? Everything all right?" John asks gently, releasing me hesitantly. I push away from him, still angry, but I'm starting to be aware of just what a fool I made of myself. I cross my arms, feeling the anger subside and embarrassment starting to flood over me.

"I'm fine," I snap. Stanley is giving me a look that could probably kill and I can see the others are wary of me. I want to burst into tears all of a sudden, wishing that this tour just wouldn't go on and I could be at home, protecting my mother and sisters. I feel so weary; I've barely slept for fear and I can barely eat. I feel defeated before I've even started.

"Sure you're not fine, you're _crazy_!" Stanley shouts, clearly annoyed that I held him down in front of everyone. I snap again, my weariness turning into anger, and I lunge out for him, but John grabs me again, his hands tight on my arms. He pulls me back, and away from Stanley.

"Stop it," he warns the other Victor. "You're not the only one hurting" hearing his voice filled with understanding fills me with weariness once more and I sag a little, giving up my aggressive stance.

"Please, she's hardly suffering, I mean-" Stanley protests.

"Stop this!" Henri interrupts him with a shout. "You're about to go on! Save this childish argument for later" he fixes us all with a glare. I grit my teeth, desperate to wrestle out of John's grip and just get the hell out of here, but I know I can't.

"Let go of me," I tell John shortly. "I'm _fine"_ He hesitates but then lets go, the look in his eyes indistinguishable. I can see the others standing by the mentors, looking nervous as they watch me. I feel sick; do they think I'm a monster now? Do they think I'm unstable or insane?

"What are you all looking at?" I snap at them and they look away. The mogs are starting to line everyone up in an order to head out onto stage, and I can tell that the others are more than happy to get away from me for now. Kat shoots me an odd look but moves away to help the mentors organise the others.

"What the hell was that Maren?" John looks at me in concern, and it's the look of fondness in his eyes that is ready to destroy me, not everyone else's anger. I suddenly feel as though I can tell John everything: Setrakus' visit, my impossible task, my family's fate… It would be so easy just to tell the truth for once.

"I…I" I stutter on the words I can never say. "I can't tell you," I finally whisper, tears building up in my eyes. John frowns, a steely look in his eyes.

"This isn't over" he says fiercely, and then the mogs move towards us, separating us as they prepare to put us on stage for today's show.

Xxx

**John**

Maren stands next to me, her face emotionless, as she stares silently ahead. Her hair and clothes are slightly rumpled, as are Stanley's, but no one would ever know what just happened inside by looking at their faces. Yet there's definitely tension underlying in the air, as Joseph steps forwards for his speech.

I can't get Maren's face out of my mind; that mad, despairing look that she had when she was holding Stanley down on the floor. It was almost as if destroying him would solve all her problems. I had never seen her look so out of control, or so terrified in the entire time that I've known her. It scared _me._

Unlike Navaria, this square is a lot smaller and there are a lot less people in the crowd today. They're roped in so they can't move around much, and mog soldiers carrying guns control to reinforce that caged-in feeling. There are screens behind the crowds, showing the ceremony from how people will be viewing this back home. I can see cameras moving around, zooming in all of our faces. I imagine back in the Capital, Caesar Flickerman will be saying a voiceover about us all in some studio.

Joseph steps forwards towards the microphone, looking down at the cards in his hands a few times. He swallows nervously, but stands squarely in front of the speaker. I can see the crowd waiting, their faces calm and patient. They don't seem to have the same supressed anger that the people in Navaria did; they don't seem to be waiting for anything revolutionary. The mogs aren't taking anything for granted though, and I can see soldiers wandering around the crowd with their guns loaded and ready in their hands. But judging by the overall atmosphere there isn't going to be any issue today.

"We are honoured to be here today, to celebrate our success with all of you" Joseph begins neutrally, sticking to the cards. I don't blame him; I felt sick after watching the mogs shoot innocent people in Navaria and I don't want to see that again. I have enough nightmares of the mogs killing innocent Loric kids in the Games; I don't need to see more deaths in my dreams.

On my other side, Sarah shifts a little, her face still pale from the earlier fight. I want to reach out and take her hand to reassure her, but I know it won't help. Besides, I think she's scared of more than Maren's temper. She's scared of the mogs, the consequences of messing up on this tour and the threat of death. And me holding her hand won't send that fear away.

"The Mogadorians have given us the opportunity to visit and celebrate our Victory in the Games with the wonderful population all over Lorien, something that we are very grateful for" Joseph continues, his voice barely showing the tension he must be feeling. "However, this is more than the chance to celebrate, but a time to remember and regret past actions"

I frown a little; this wasn't in the earlier speeches, and I thought they would all be the same. I glance at the Mayor nearby, but his face is neutral. Yet something tells me that this change in speech has everything to do with the ceremony in Navaria. The mogs were understandably worried by the reaction and now they're going to try and stop it.

"The Funeral Games show both the Mogadorian and Loric populations the devastating effects of war between two nations. I am witness to this"

Joseph's voice is colder now but he continues to read the cards steadily. He glances to the side very slightly and I follow his gaze, noticing with a slightly feeling of dread Marina stood close to the edge of the stage, three mog soldiers near her. It looks perfectly normal to everyone else but something tells me that if Joseph were to stray away from the cards' content, Marina might not be standing for long.

"I saw the terrible consequences of two races that fought one another. I saw many deaths, the majority of which belonged to the Loric, my race. One of the deceased was my partner Nia, who was killed in Round 2" he looks down at the cards, swallowing, and then looks up again, his face dark. The crowd watch him neutrally, neither frustrated nor angry at his passivity. It's like they just don't care. Like they expected this.

"Yet the Games also show the mercy of the mogs, particularly when our Beloved Leader saved us from death and granted us all freedom to live and work in the Capital" Joseph continues. "Likewise, the Tour allows us Victors to share in the wealth and generosity of the Mogadorians" he continues. Stanley's face is like stone, but I can see the smallest smile on Cody's face.

And, weirdly enough, on Maren's too.

"The Tour has allowed us all to see the wonders of what can be achieved when both Loric and Mogadorian work together. With our Legacies, and their power for technology, we can work together to make Lorien a better and stronger planet" Joseph grits his teeth and folds the cards together, the tendons on his fists standing out.

"We should not allow ourselves to be carried off in the foolish hopes of two races with different systems and planets" Joseph clears his throat "We should realise the potential that combining the two together can achieve. The Mogadorians have realised this. _I_ have realised this…now it is the time for the rest of Lorien to realise this"

Xxx

**Adam**

My fingers fumble in my jacket pockets as a light snow falls around my face, the fluffy bits of snow landing and melting in my dark hair. My fingers feel like they've frozen and I swear in annoyance as I desperately dig around my pockets, trying to find the damn keys to get into the house.

"You know, I'm surprised you have the normal key entrance for your houses" Hannah remarks, as she stands shivering nearby. I didn't know that this weather really affected her but maybe she's feeling the aftereffects from me. "I would have thought you guys would have fingerprint sensors or even the cool eye scanning things, or maybe some obscure technological thing that you guys come up with" she grins. I roll my eyes, sighing in relief when I find the keys.

"It's just a townhouse" I shrug. "There's no need for strong security here when there are mog soldiers patrolling the streets every ten minutes" I unlock the door, entering the warm house. "The country houses though…their security is a lot tighter" I lower my voice, knowing that with my family around I'll have to speak in my head to talk to Hannah. I don't know how I'd be able to explain to my father that I have a dead Loric tribute in my mind.

"Adam?" my mother's voice is nervous as I shrug out of my coat, hanging it on the hook. I frown a little, approaching the dining room where there's usually dinner laid out on the table for me. "Adam, dinner's ready"

I enter the room slowly, but nothing seems amiss. Dinner is ready as usual and my mother is the only one here; Ivan's not back yet, and my younger sister, Kelly, must still be working with the Pikens. She's still one of the youngest workers there so she'll have the rubbish night shifts to work. She won't be allowed to pick and choose her shifts for a few years, even if she is a General's daughter. Mogs don't tend to let family status govern work hours; it's all about individual ability.

"Smells good," I say, drawing a seat back and heaping food onto my plate.

My mother watches, her eyes narrowed with anxiety but she doesn't say anything. Maybe she's worried about the Victory Tour. After all, the Victors did put on a bit of a show in Navaria, but today's ceremony in India was incredibly laid back in comparison. I wonder who the mogs threatened to get the speaking Victor to cooperate.

"How's work been recently?" my mother asks. I shrug, shovelling the food into my mouth, hungry after a long's day work.

"It's all right" I mumble through the food. My mother frowns, interlocking her fingers together, her face tightened with stress. Hannah is watching her with narrowed eyes but I just don't care right now. I'm too hungry and tired to worry.

Truth is, work has been incredibly busy after the ceremony in Navaria. The Loric went crazy in that district: setting fire to the factories, the mogs' headquarters and murdering officials, both Loric and Mogadorian. It was so bad that we had to send the Scouts over, much to Hannah's anger. I haven't heard much since, which tells me that the Scouts did their job all too well. Of course, the ceremony in India today will have helped hugely.

"Look, the thing is Adam-" my mother begins but the front door slums shut with a loud bang. My mother flinches and dread begins to creep into my stomach: my father's home. My mother is usually delighted to see him, unless he's angry. And seeing as he's never angry with my mother, that can only mean one thing.

He's angry with _me_.

"Adam" my father stands in the doorway, his face calm on the outside, but I can sense the anger brewing underneath. I'm in huge trouble.

"Yes Father?" I stand, wishing that I could continue eating, but I know if I do that I'll be thrown out of the house faster than I can say 'help'. I swallow nervously, lowering my eyes respectively and praying that he'll let me live, even though I have no idea what I;ve done wrong. Nearby, Hannah has stood up, as if she can fight my father, but I know how hopeless that would be.

"You have applied to become a Gamemaker" he finally says, his voice filled with anger. I look up, and then lower my eyes again when I see the murderous rage in his eyes.

_I was right,_ I say bitterly to Hannah. _I said he was going to kill me for this!_

I swallow and then nod slowly. "Yes Father" I can see his hands tighten as he rests them on the back of a chair, and I can only imagine his face working as he tries to control his temper. My mother rises, and I see her head over to my father, resting her hands on his arms.

"Please" she whispers softly to him. "Please, let's just hear him out. I know you're angry with him for whatever reason, but please, let's just listen"

So, she still doesn't know the truth about the Games then. My father must want to spare her the details, but I can tell from the look on his face as I raise my eyes, that he severely regrets that. If my mother knew the truth, then she wouldn't have any qualms about my sudden and mysterious disappearance.

"Fine" my father snaps, dragging a chair out and sitting down heavily. I stay standing, knowing that is what he would want. "Explain, Adam" his voice is still barely controlled, and turns cold when he says my name. Man, he hates me so much. I bet he would kill me now if not for my mother's presence.

"I let you down in the Games by showing weakness" I say hurriedly. This is all my mother knows and I know she thinks my father is being slightly unreasonable. "I thought that maybe the violence in the Games was too extreme" I lower my eyes. "I couldn't have been more wrong"

"What are you saying?" My father still doesn't trust me but I hear the faintest hint of doubt in his voice. I got my intelligence and ability to lie from him. My mother is holding his hand, looking trustingly at me, believing every word. Although it hurts to lie to her, I can't help but be glad that she's on my side for now.

"I saw the Loric uprising against the mogs in some districts. They were so violent, so angry" I shake my head, as a normal mog citizen would. "It made _me_ angry, to see such waste and destruction happening, after all we've done for them" I inject the right amount of resentment in my voice and I can tell from my parents' faces that I'm starting to win them over. Perhaps my father never truly wanted to believe that his oldest son could be such a traitor and seeing this new, reformed boy in front of him must be a dream come true; how can he _not_ want to fall for it?

"We've done so much for them and then they pay us back in this way! And then I saw the advertisement for the Gamemaker position and I remembered just how much I had shamed you, Father, in my own Games" I lower my eyes, as if embarrassed. "I wanted to make it up to you, and do all I could to improve our family name more"

"You will never do as well as Ivan," my father says gravely, after a short silence. A flash of anger and irritation passes through me at the mention of my brother's name, but I lower my face and keep my voice neutral. They must never know my desire to kill my own brother.

"I know Father" I say softly. "He is a Lieutenant in the Scouts, and is an honour to the whole of the Mogadorian race," I say, pretending to be respectful. "But I was hoping that if I were even to be considered a contender for the Gamemaker position, then that might restore the honour I degraded"

There's a long silence and I look up to watch my father regarding me narrowly. My mother is beaming, apparently taken in by my speech, but I can tell my father is trying to look at this from every angle, to see if I am really telling the truth. Hannah sits in the corner, a grin on her face and silently applauding.

_He suspects you of lying but he'll never think you're capable of taking the role on to help Loric. He distrusts you, but not _that_ much,_ she laughs. _He's going to fall for it; you just wait and see._

_You're too optimistic sometimes_. I reply shortly, but I watch my father hopefully all the same. His eyes are still narrowed but I can tell the suspicion is starting to clear from his mind.

"Fine" he stands abruptly. "I highly doubt that they will consider you for the role," he snorts. "After all, you have barely any experience and are very young…and weak" he says derisively. "But I am glad that you are doing this for your family. I am pleased to see that your faith in our nation has been restored" he smiles tightly. My mother beams happily, her rigid posture relaxing, and she links her arm with my father.

"Thank you" she says earnestly. "I knew he had simply lost his way," she says excitedly. "And you were right, a term in Surveillance has made him realise just how atrocious and disgusting those Loric scum are" she shivers.

_Bitch, please, at least we don't kill children for fun!_ Hannah snarls angrily. I want to shoot her a look to make her shut up; as much as I agree with her, I don't like the way she badmouths my mother. If not for her, I would have been killed by my father and Ivan at least ten times by now.

"They are appalling Mother" I agree, plastering a similarly horrified look on my face. "Some of their actions recently…" I trial off, pretending to be horrified. I think I might have laid it on a bit thickly just then because my father narrows his eyes again, but my mother rambles on, and I see the suspicion fade.

"I just hope they never decide to fight against us. Who knows what would happen?" she shudders. My father's face turns gentle, for him, and he rubs my mother's back comfortingly. It's weird to see someone so cold and cruel be kind to someone.

"They won't" he replies. "We have the best security in place here" his eyes fall on me and I can see the icy coldness in them. "And if the Loric do ever decide to attack, then we _will_ crush them"

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**Hope you enjoyed!**

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	10. Chapter 9 - Innail

**Disclaimer – I don't own Lorien Legacies (or Hunger Games, which this story has links to)**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! As always, I love them and enjoy reading what you think. I really appreciate those who review every time and thank you so so much!**

**I'm going back to Uni tomorrow for my last few lessons and then exams :/ But I've written enough that I should be able to still do a week by week update, so the story won't be affected by exams.**

**Thank you and please read on!**

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Chapter 9 – Innail

**Maren**

"Finally, somewhere warm" I remark. "Or warmer at the very least"

Next to me, Kat rolls her eyes as she picks her bag up and slings it over her shoulder. A fresh breeze blows across the landing pad, and I can smell the fresh scent of a river on the wind. It whips my hair across my face but for the first time in a long time, I almost feel at peace. It's the first place I've ever been to on Lorien that doesn't feel controlled by the mogs, even with the soldiers marching around, and the huge ship looming behind me.

"Welcome to Innail, we hope your stay will be pleasant" a young Loric woman bows respectively, her hair neatly secured under a white cloth, almost like a veil. It's an odd thing to wear, but when another gust of wind blows through the courtyard and my hair flies in front my eyes once more, I can see why. I guess this place must be breezy.

Henri steps forwards and says something to the young woman, who nods and begins to lead us out of the landing area and towards the main city. I didn't see much of Innail from the air, apart from elegant buildings and the famous three rivers winding throughout the city. But as we step out of the landing area and the city stretches out in front of us on the rolling hills of the Riverlands, I can really appreciate just how beautiful the city is.

"Wow" next to me, Sam's face is slack, as he stares at the sprawling, elegant city. "It's…it's kind of beautiful for the mogs' work" he shoots me a cheeky grin and I suppress the need to roll my eyes.

"It's not the mogs' work" Cody steps up, an odd look on his face. "Don't you know anything? This was built long before the mogs came; they have nothing to do with it," he snorts derisively.

"Then I like this place so much better" Stanley cuts abruptly in front of us, making me stumble to a stop. I shoot him a glare and motion Sam forwards, trying to remain calm. Stanley just has a chip on his shoulder after yesterday.

"Sorry" he flashes me a fake smile and I grit my teeth, contemplating punching him, but Sam places his hand on my arm.

"Easy Maren" he says softly. I take a deep breath, and shrug him off, but at least I'm calm. No one knows the reason for my outburst yesterday but seeing as I'm speaking in the ceremony today, they've all put it down to stress. Even Kat has backed off. The only person who I think might pursue things is John, but even he is distracted for the moment.

"The Riverlands have always been a separate district, even when Lorien was united under the Elders" the young woman with the scarf leads us down the gently sloping hill and I can see a few pods at the bottom, waiting to take us to the city. I can see one of the three rivers of the Riverlands gently winding through the countryside nearby, and its water is such a light blue that it takes my breath away.

"That's the Icewater" the young woman walks next to me, apparently our new tour guide. "Its waters are said to be able to heal any disease and injury," she laughs. "But everyone knows it's the crystals that are formed at the bottom of the water that can really heal" she grins. I nod, interested despite myself. I'd always wanted to see more of Lorien, and the Riverlands have always been fascinating. They were one of the places that never really truly gave up to the Mogs' way of life.

"What is it like here?" I ask, making sure there aren't too many mogs around. "Do you all have to obey the mogs?" I ask bitterly. The woman looks around as well, her face nervous.

"Of course" she nods. "But not as much as other places" she shrugs. "We have a decent life here because the mogs are so suspicious of the rivers," she laughs. "You would never believe how nervous they are of the planet. They think it's all magical and they hate anything that doesn't have a technological answer" she looks at me, almost conspiratorially. "They're terrified of going beyond the Bloodwater," she points to the third river, far in the distance.

It was originally named something different, but the name 'Bloodwater' has stuck ever since the brief uprising after the Occupation. The resistors had fought against the mogs by the river and the battle there had been brief, but deadly. There had been so many Loric killed that the Bloodwater had been red with blood for days.

"What do you mean?" I frown. The young woman smiles, clearly pleased with my interest.

"The next river beyond the Bloodwater is the Black Knife, and that stretches from the mountains down to Rocky Bay" the woman explains. "The mogs find it absolutely impossible to pass, and as you know, the mountains are just as impassable for them" she grins. "They're terrified of what could be beyond the river and the mountains"

Henri calls her name, Gisele I think, and she scampers off to guide him down a particularly tricky part of the path. We've almost reached the bottom of the hill and I can see the pods, ready to take us to the city. I look out at the Bloodwater and beyond that, to the Black Knife and the mountains. I feel a soft smile on my face. If what this woman is saying is true, then the mogs really don't have a strong grip over Lorien at all.

Xxx

I stand on the balcony that overlooks the city, the breeze that refreshed me at first starting to really annoy me. I've tugged my hair back into a ponytail, but even now bits of hair have started to escape the band and are flying around my face. I'm tempted to ask Gisele where to get one of those white cloth things, just to keep me calm.

"How's the speech going?" Sam leans on the balcony next to me, his eyes taking in the beautiful scenery around us. With everything so lovely here, I could almost forget my fears about my family. Everything feels a world away, and it could all just be a bad dream.

"It's all right" I shrug. "It's about the same as yesterday's one in India" I reply.

"But you probably won't stick to the cards, right?" Sam grins. I frown, leaning on the rails next to him, focusing on the winding river below me. The headquarters are on this kind of tiny island in the middle of the city, caused by all three rivers interlocking. It's cool how the city has built itself around the three rivers, instead of forcing the rivers to adapt to the layout of the city. It's made for some pretty crazy designs, but I really like it.

"I don't know Sam" I sigh, snapping back to the conversation. "I don't want to" A blatant lie, but he doesn't need to know that. He can never learn about my family's predicament. "But after everything that happened in Navaria…I don't want more innocent people to get killed for nothing"

"But it's not for nothing" Sam turns to me with a passion that surprises me. "It's not for nothing at all! Loric will be watching this all over Lorien and when they hear us, the _Victors_, saying that we don't agree with them, then people will want to fight back!" he grips my wrists, not uncomfortably, but tightly enough that it catches my attention.

"But people get _killed_ Sam" I say softly, glancing around anxiously. "The mogs are too strong at the moment, they can't be overcome. We need to wait till we're strong enough to properly fight back and pose a risk. Not a nuisance"

Sam watches me puzzled. "Since when do you back down from fights?" he frowns. "You were more than happy to fight yesterday" I clench my jaw and turn away from him, looking out to the city.

"This is different. I only fight when I know I can win" And with my family in the clutches of Setrakus Ra, I definitely can't win this one.

"Something's going on with you. Something bad" Sam looks at me, concerned and annoyed too. The latter emotion shocks me; I've never thought that Sam could get annoyed with me. I always thought he saw me as some kind of idyllic girl, someone he would never get tired of. I guess I was wrong.

"Maybe you just don't know me anymore" I remember my wish to just separate myself from everyone else and wish that Sam would leave me alone. The more time he spends with me, the more attached to him I'll become. The more time he spends with me, the more the mogs will realise he is important to me. And I can't lose Sam as well.

"Maybe I don't" his voice is hard. "The girl I saw yesterday wasn't the girl who would do anything to save her sister. That girl I saw yesterday wasn't the amazing one that saved me in the Games. That girl? She was a _bully_" I flinch at his words, but refuse to look at him as he turns away and heads inside. I look down at the cards in my hands, and then with a yell, throw them away from me.

Xxx

**Adam**

A light snow falls from the sky as we wait by the landing pad, the floor covered in a light layer of frost and snow. My mother shivers under her thick coat, and my sister rubs her hands together against the bitter cold but my father remains unmoving, his stern face as cold as the temperature. He glances at my shivering sister and with a sigh, removes his gloves and hands them to her.

"Wear these," he says shortly. She accepts them, looking as stunned as I feel. It seems my father is getting softer as he gets old.

_Or maybe he's appreciating her loyalty to the 'cause' after your show in the Games,_ Hannah mutters from next to me. I frown at her words but can't help but acknowledge that she is right. My sister's dedication to training the pikens and krauls is a valuable asset to the race and my father must realise this.

"When are they coming?" my mother asks, glancing around the empty landing pad. The Scouts' regiment that was posted in Qarth is returning for a week, and my brother is one of the members. Seeing as he is one of the three Lieutenants in the regiment, and his father is the Great General, we are allowed to greet Ivan on his return. The 'normal' scouts will have to make their own way home.

"Soon" My father says shortly. Nearby, Captain Lothar of the Scouts, the mog in control of all regiments, stands sternly, as he waits for his men to return. My father told us that Ivan and the other Lieutenants will be meeting with him tomorrow for new orders. Apparently there is a city that needs dealing with urgently.

There is a loud droning noise and I look up to see the large hulking body of the ship begin to lower onto the landing pad. I forget how fast these ships could appear out of nowhere. I back away instinctively, ignoring my father's look of disgust, and put my hand to my face to shield my eyes from the bright sun reflecting off the bright sides of the ship. The droning noise gets louder and louder until it's practically boring into my skull and then the ship lands with a gentle thump on the ground. The noise begins to ease off and a hissing noise replaces it as the doors begin to open.

The Scouts march out, in such an orderly fashion that it's clear they've practiced this a thousand times over. In front of all three columns marches the lieutenant in charge and the middle lieutenant is my brother Ivan. He looks even more muscular and meaner than I remember, and I can feel Hannah's fear, despite being dead. I can only feel anger when I see the harsh, clean lines of his cruel face.

"Attention!" Captain Lothar snaps and the columns stop at once. He steps forwards, and pulls out three scrolls, handing each one to the lieutenants in charge. Ivan takes his but does not read it; I wouldn't be surprised to hear him begging me to help read it later this evening. Captain Lothar says a few words that are drowned out by the roar of the ship as it begins to rise again, but the columns disperse at once. The Scouts begin to relax and talk with one another as they head for the exit, but Captain Lothar and my brother head towards my family and I.

"General Sutekh" the Captain bows when he sees my father and my brother does the same. Sometimes I forget just how powerful my family is. "Lady Sutekh" the Captain bows to my mother; again I forget just how special she is considered to the Mogadorian race. Bearing and raising three trueborn children is no easy feat, especially when the father is the head General of the Mogadorian army.

"It's an honour" my father bows quickly and I do the same, hastily. Ivan watches me, his eyes narrowed, and I can't help but glare at him as I stand up. He turns his face away, and I can just tell that they'll be words between the two of us later. I haven't spoken to him since before he left, and we parted on bad terms.

"The honour is mine. We have much to speak about General Sutekh," the Captain says. "It would be a privilege if you were to join us in our meeting tomorrow" his face is drawn tightly and I see the lines around his eyes and mouth. Something bad is going on.

"Of course" my father nods. The Captain glances at Ivan, a pleased look in his eyes.

"Your son too" he adds. My father nods and the two part, without any further words. The mogs have never been ones to say anything that doesn't need saying.

"Ivan" my mother steps forwards and he bows quickly. It seems a term with the Scouts has given him manners that 19 years in my mother's care never did. My father seems pleased at the discipline and pats his second son on the back, whilst my mother wraps him up in her arms. Kelly jumps forward as well, chattering away.

Only I stand back, ugly feelings of hatred and anger stirring inside me.

Xxx

"You hate me"

Ivan stands at the entrance to my doorway, his head almost brushing the top. His shoulders look even more massive inside and I swear it's almost difficult for him to squeeze through my door. Nearby, Hannah watches him narrowly, her hands clenched into fists. I was surprised that she kept quiet earlier but I don't think she will now.

"No" I look back down at the book I was reading about Gamemakers. I'm trying to do as much prep as possible, even though I have no idea whether or not I'm even up for getting the position.

"You're not talking to me," Ivan notes, squeezing into the room. "You hate me"

I sigh, shutting my book. "I'm not talking because I'm reading" I correct him, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice. "You should try it some time," I snap. Nearby Hannah grins, and makes silly little cheering noises. I think she's trying to annoy me.

"I have to read all the time now" Ivan whines, apparently not sensing the annoyance. "As a lieutenant I have to make big decisions now" he shakes his head. "It's so much easier when someone else tells you what to punch" he grimaces.

"Or kill" the words slip out before I can control them, and my tone is icy. Ivan's eyes meet mine and he knows that I'm talking about Hannah at once. I expect to see suspicion in his eyes at my own anger, but instead I'm surprised to see shame.

"This is about that girl…the one from Round 3, isn't it?" he says hesitantly. "You…you _liked_ her?" I stay silent and look down at my book, all to aware of Hannah listening in nearby. She's not grinning anymore and her face is serious and hurt as she stares at Ivan.

"I mean I guessed, but I never thought that it was possible" Ivan shakes his head. "I mean…she was _Loric, _Adam! Couldn't you have liked someone from your own race?!" he grimaces. Hannah opens her mouth to say something and then shuts it. I keep my eyes down, not wanting to see the disgust on Ivan's face. But what he says next is the last thing I ever expected to hear.

"I'm sorry" I look up in shock, my face slack. "I'm sorry that I killed her…not for killing a Loric, I'm not sorry for that" he says contemptuously, and my hopes of him changing are dashed. "I'm sorry that you got hurt in the process," Hannah swears at him in the corner, surprisingly vicious and crude words coming out of her pretty mouth and it takes real effort to block her out.

"Well, there's nothing to be done about it now" I say softly, my voice weaker than I want it to be. Ivan hesitates and then nods, shutting the door behind him before heading further into my room. I watch him warily, expecting anything at this point.

"I need your help Adam," he finally says. "A whole load of shit is going on right now and Father is so intimidating that I don't know if I can ask him to help" he hesitates and then sits down heavily on my bed. Hannah has stopped swearing and is leaning forward, interested again. I can't help but admit that I'm intrigued as well.

"What do you mean?" I ask. Ivan sighs and runs a hand through his buzz cut, seemingly annoyed at its short length.

"The districts are starting to rebel" he shakes his head. "I mean, they were bad enough after the Games, but we managed to control that well enough" I wince, thinking of the ways that the mogs managed to 'control' the districts. I bet it involved a lot of deaths.

"And?" I ask, trying to keep the eagerness out of my voice. Nearby, Hannah's eyes are sparkling and there's a fierce grin on her face.

"And things are getting bad. The stupid Tour is making things worse. Those damn Victors are saying the right things and the Loric don't need much persuasion" he puts his heads in his hands. "Navaria is under heavy mog control now but every day there seems to be some small uprising somewhere else. All the important mog families have moved out and it's just the military there now"

I glance at Hannah, smiling despite myself at the look of hope on her face. I turn back to Ivan, trying to pretend to be concerned, and not delighted with this new turn of events. I have to pretend like this is catastrophic news, when really I'm rejoicing. It's about time the mogs suffered for what they've done.

Yet if the mogs suffer, where does that leave me?

"What do you need my help with?" I ask softly. He sighs and passes me the scroll he was given earlier, his face troubled.

"Plans. What to do with the Loric resistors. Where to send the right regiments…that's what we're discussing tomorrow. A strong team needs to be sent to Mort; there are so many groups fighting there that it's like a battleground. I just need your intelligence" he looks at me hopefully. I take the scroll and unroll it, taking in the layout and plans of the Scout army easily. Little does Ivan realise just how dangerous it is to hand me secret information about the ranks and formation of the Mogadorian army.

_I told you the time had come_, Hannah says smugly from the floor. _You just hadn't realised it._

_I do now, _I reply. _I know now._

Xxx

**Unknown POV – District of Mort**

The midday sun shines weakly through the thin clouds as we file into the small square, the screens all around us and already showing the ceremony in Innail. I shuffle along with the rest of the Loric here, the knife and gun hidden in my jacket pocket. I lock eyes with Michael, who nods, and then he turns away, disappearing into the crowd, his shoulders squared in determination.

I stand near a group of mog soldiers, placing myself between them and some children who were forced to come here today. I see group 3 nearby, whose job is to get the innocents out as soon as possible. After Navaria, we don't want any more children to die. I stretch my arms out a little, trying to appear as calm as possible, but my heart is pounding. My hands are sweating and I feel like my face is bright red with suppressed fear and anger.

"Ready?" June stands next to me, her hair cut in a vicious bob that hangs jaggedly around her jawbone. I nod, gritting my teeth, as the screens come to life. I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

"Ready" I grunt.

A young girl is shown on the screen, dressed in the modest clothes that the Innail people have to wear: head scarf, long skirt and buttoned-up blouse. But even in that get-up, I recognise her. It's her, the lightning strike. June grins next to me as a ripple of sound flows throughout the crowd, as murmurs reach my ears. This is the girl that fought so hard in the Games, who could kill more mogs than any of the other Victors combined.

"People of Innail, People of the Riverlands, People of Lorien" the girl looks tired, but she's as strong and deadly as before. I feel a grim smile spreading across my face, and I flex my fingers. It's coming…the moment is coming.

"We have come here today, to celebrate our moment of Victory" the girl clears her throat, and I share a puzzled look with June. This sounds far too familiar, far too scripted to be her words. This isn't her; the mogs are controlling her. "This is the moment that we share our delight and gratitude with you, and the rest of the world" she forces a smile.

"Liar!" I hear someone scream, someone in the crowd of Mort or of Innail I'll never know. I feel another ripple in the crowd, and I watch as the mogs hoist their weapons into their hands, ready. Anger pounds through me; they think that if they continue to kill us all over the planet then it'll stop everything, but it just makes it worse.

"The Mogadorians have offered us the opportunity to-" the girl continues but something flies out and hits the stage. She whitens and takes a few stumbling steps backwards, as the red rose lands on the stage. She stares at it, her face draining of blood, and it's like the whole world stops. It's just a rose but the girl stares at it, as though it's a bomb. She then very slowly bends down and picks up the rose, a strange look on her face.

She whispers something, but it's so quiet that I can't hear it. Her eyes lock on the crowd, and then directly on the cameras, looking like she's about to break down in front of everyone. Everyone in Mort leans forwards, wondering if she'll say something revolutionary, something to spur us on to fight. June's face is captivated, watching our leader. I see group 2 starting to take the hands of the children, and farther away, Michael begins to move towards the stage with our Mayor. Our fat, ugly Mayor who lets us starve whilst he eats the best food all day long. Michael locks eyes with me and nods.

It is time.

"I can't do it" the girl on stage whispers and then it's like her body jerks and she falls to the ground, apparently fainting. But I can only imagine what the mogs have done to her to make her collapse like that. There's screaming in Innail and one Victor runs forward to the fallen girl on the stage. The screens go black as the cameras cut off.

"They hurt her!" someone screams in the crowd here. "They hurt her!" more shouting and screaming picks up, and I watch as group 3 starts herding the children and other innocents, towards the back of the crowd, where it's safest.

"You can't kill everything in your way!" I hear someone else screaming. The crowd are starting to get restless, and I can see Group 1 pushing forwards, drawing out their weapons.

"Order! I will have Order!" the Mayor stands up, trying to control the crowd beating at the stage. The mog soldiers begin to move into the crowd and I watch as one aims for an old woman nearby, who's trying to get away quickly. Anger races through me and I lunge forwards, pulling my knife onto him before he can shoot her. I aim the knife for the mogs' neck as I throw it.

Dust fills the air as the mog dies.

Screams break out and then the crowd is moving and destroying the square. I'm caught up in the magic of the moment as the screens are torn down and burnt, black smoke filling the air. The Mayor's throat is cut on stage, Michael pushing the lifeless body onto a group of oncoming mog soldiers, who are knocked down by the weight of the corpse. I watch as June rips into mogs faster than a starving child eating a loaf of bread.

"Fight back!" I'm screaming and others begin to take up the chant as we move through Mort, chilling and burning the city. We spare the Loric, obviously, but all mogs are killed, regardless of age or gender. "_Fight back! Kill them all!"_

Capital flags are ripped down and burnt. Mog soldiers are shot and stabbed. Mog buildings are burnt to ash. Screams fill the air, as well as shouts of victory.

"_Kill the mogs! Kill the mogs!_" the chant lights my blood on fire and I tackle and kill as many mogs as I can. The central resistance movement makes it's way to the centre of the city as the ordinary Loric hurry home and lock their doors and windows. One day they'll join us. One day, we'll all unite to fight back.

We don't hear the drone of the mog craft until the very last moment. We don't hear the screams of '_Scouts, the Scouts are coming'_ until it's too late.

Many others drown out the sound of the bullet that hits me out but I certainly feel the pain in my chest. I definitely see the blood on my chest. The last things I see are the bodies of Loric being trampled by hundreds of Mogadorian warriors, June and Michael amongst them. And the last thing I hear is the order of a Mog Lieutenant to destroy Mort so that the only thing left is ash.

Then everything turns black.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed!**

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	11. Chapter 10 - Confessions

**Disclaimer – I don't own Lorien Legacies.**

**Hi guys!**

**Just want to say a huge thank you for all the lovely reviews! Once again I really love them all and appreciate them! Thank you!**

**This chapter is for Jix shippers so I hope you all enjoy!**

**Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 10 – Confessions

**John**

Maren looks exhausted. Her skin is pale, practically white against the backdrop of her black hair, and her face looks gaunter than it did before. Holding her wrist in my hands, the bones feel prominent and sharp, and she almost looks delicate as she sleeps. If I didn't know better, I'd say that she's ill.

"There's nothing to heal" I gently place her arm back down next to her, looking up at Henri. "There's no illness, unless exhaustion counts" I shrug. "I have no idea what happened earlier"

After Maren collapsed in Innail, the ceremony was postponed until she was taken to a nearby hospital. The ceremony went ahead again an hour later, with Sam reading out Maren's speech instead, and the Mayor claiming that Maren had fallen ill with flu. No one had suspected a thing.

Henri frowns, turning to Marina who is also gently placing her hand on Maren's forehead. His face is lined with too many lines for a man of his age, and I can see the stress that he's been under reflected on his face. His shoulders are slumped and like Maren, he has dark circles under his eyes.

"Anything that you can sense?" he asks Marina. She's been healing far longer than me, and can do things that I can only hope to achieve later on in the future.

"It's weird. It's like there's something in her veins" she frowns. "When I sent my legacy into her to heal her, the only thing that I patched up was a tiny hole here," she points to Maren's arm. "Like a puncture mark" she chews on her lip. I'm impressed that Marina was able to sense that and it makes me desperate to be able to be at her level so I can sense things like that. When I heal, I can only feel my legacy and the vaguest sense of the injury.

"Like a tranquilliser?" Kat asks. She sits nearby, Maren's hand in her own, but despite the worry she must be feeling, she's still on the ball. "Like a dart tranquilliser?" she adds.

Marina nods slowly. "It would make sense. The legacy had to force past something strong and slow in her veins, something that wasn't _stopping_ the legacy exactly, but simply slowing it down" she sighs frustrated. "It's really hard to explain but a tranquilliser would make sense. When I was in the hospital-" she begins, her face animated, but Henri gently holds a hand up to stop her.

"Thank you" he says, voice dripping with weariness. "Maybe you could talk with us about it later" he adds softly, a flash of guilt in his eyes at stopping her. She nods, no sign of annoyance in her face, and then gently removes her hand from Maren.

"Of course" she smiles. "Is there…is there anything else I can do?" she asks, looking around. Henri shakes his head, taking a seat wearily, and Marina frowns. She leans down and presses her hand against his cheek. Henri jerks but before he can pull away, it's like something passes between him and Marina. His face loses that awful grey tinge to it and he sits up straighter, looking relieved, as if something has been lifted off his shoulders without him realising it was there.

"You were getting the beginnings of a fever," she explains. "It's gone now" she smiles, before heading out of the room. I watch her go, slightly jealous of her power. Maybe I should have worked in the hospital, instead of the chimaera pens. Then my healing and knowledge of health would have been as extensive as Marina's. But then I would never have gotten to know Maren as well as I do.

"Why would the mogs want to tranquilise her?" Kat seems oblivious to what happened. "She hadn't even said anything bad!" she exclaims, her hand gently stroking her Victor's hair.

"She's unstable," I say bluntly. "She attacked Stanley in India, and then had a fight with Sam before going on stage in Innail" Kat's face registers shock at that last bit. "Who knows what she might have said? She's not exactly known for campaigning peace"

Henri nods. "And she was freaked out by that rose" his face becomes troubled again. "She needs help. She needs counselling or something along those lines. You all do to be honest," he sighs. "Maybe you should talk to her when she wakes up John. You two are close," he suggests. Kat nods, her face protective as she looks at the vulnerable girl on the bed.

"But don't stress her out more. She's been under a lot of pressure," she warns. I nod, the tiniest hint of a smile playing on my lips at the two adults. "Besides, we'll be off to Baladh soon and we need her to be calm for the ceremony" I nod again, a glimmer of excitement in me at the thought of Baladh.

It's the southern-most city in the whole of Lorien, and is legendary for it's beauty. It's right on the Bay of Sunlight, and is supposed to be hot and sunny. I've never been anywhere like that before and I'd by lying if I said I wasn't excited. We're setting off early in the morning tomorrow to get there for the midday ceremony, but of course we have to go through tonight's celebration and feast before we can even think about packing and getting ready to go.

"We have to go to a meeting now about arrangements for the rest of the Tour" Henri stands up, gently reminding Kat of this meeting. She sighs but nods, getting to her feet wearily. She looks at me and is about to say something but shakes her head. There's an odd look in her eyes.

"Make sure she's all right," she finally says. I nod at once, taking her seat, and without really thinking about it, taking Maren's hand in my own. It's smaller than I would have expected for someone so deadly, but I can feel the callouses on her palms caused by years of training. Henri's eyes watch me keenly, an odd light in them that I can't understand.

"Of course he will," he finally murmurs to Kat, before the two of them turn to go. "Of course he will"

Xxx

"John, wake up, I need water" I wake up slowly, my eyes feeling like they're glued together. "John, wake up" I move my head so it's buried more into the soft pillow, just wanting to sleep again. "_John!"_ Something hits my head and I jump up, wondering if there's an attack.

Maren smiles wearily from her position on the bed, and I relax at once, realising that I must have fallen asleep and she had to wake me up. I smile guiltily and then, remembering her words, move to get her a glass of water, pouring it out of the jug and into the glass quickly. I gently slide a hand behind her head and lift the glass to her lips, tipping it so she can swallow easily. She doesn't even seem to complain about being helped, like she might have done once.

"How long have you been awake?" I ask, gently lowering her head onto the pillow again and putting the glass back on the bedside table. She shrugs, pulling the covers up around her shoulders more.

"No idea. I woke up and sleeping beauty here was dribbling on the blanket" she smiles weakly. My eyes widen and I quickly wipe my chin, but it turns out she was just joking about the dribbling part. She grins, looking happy for the first time in a while.

"How are you feeling?" I ask more seriously. I'm surprised that Sam isn't here, but maybe he's still angry with her after their fight yesterday. I know it's more than the cross words they exchanged that's upset him; he's still hurt from her rejecting him, and I know he still cares for her deeply. Yet seeing how stressed and worn out she is at the moment, I can't help but feel he's being petty and childish by not checking on her. She needs all her friends with her right now.

"My head kills" she shrugs. "But there's nothing I can…what are you doing?" I reach out at once, placing my hands on forehead and stopping her words. Our eyes lock as I send my healing legacy through her, willing it to send the pain in her head away. She relaxes slightly and her eyes widen in relief, as a smile crosses her face. I can't help but admit that it makes her look beautiful.

"Thanks, I forgot how good you're getting," she says softly. "I feel better now," she admits. I frown, looking down at the sheets on the bed.

"What's going on with you Maren? You're arguing and shouting at everyone and causing fights with the others. This isn't like you at all," I practically plead with her. I expect her to snap at me like she did the other day but instead, tears fill her eyes.

"Not everyone" she whispers. "You're the only one I feel like I can talk to now, without someone shouting at me, or thinking I'm a bitch" a tear rolls down her cheek and without thinking I lean forward and wiping it away. She never shows weakness, and I should be worried, but I can't help but be touched that she feels like I'm the only person she trusts.

"What's going on?" I ask again, softly. "You can tell me anything" she shakes her head, and I open my mouth frustrated, but she beats me to it.

"I _can't_ John. It's not that I don't want to, it's that I _can't,"_ she whispers. "They can't know…that you know" she looks down, another tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm sorry," she mutters miserably.

I watch her, confused and pitying. But I'm also angry at whoever is making her keep this secret, this terrible secret that is causing her to distance herself from everyone but me. I'm so angry that I could hunt down this person and make them pay for making someone as strong as Maren so scared. The strength of my anger shocks me.

"Don't be," I say softly, taking her hand in mine. "It's not your fault," I continue. "Just…just promise me that you won't ever stop talking to me about whatever is going on. If you're scared…even if you can't say why, just tell me. Talking helps," I plead. I expect her to shout at me but instead she nods.

"You know, I tried to distance myself from everyone. From Marina, Sam, Ella…_you._ It worked for all of them apart from you. You just don't give up" she laughs softly, but sniffs too. I reach for a tissue, passing it to her. I'm surprised by my own feelings of fondness and protection towards her.

"You know, you can be strong and still be close to people," I tell her. "I _know_ you Maren. You would do anything for your family, for your friends. You're the strongest person I know. I just…I wish that you would tell me what's going on with you" I say softly. She sniffs, dabbing at her nose, and then nods.

"Ok" she gives in easier than I expect her to. Maybe she's just fed up and wants a break from everything. "But…if you're upset, you have to tell me too" she adds hesitantly. I nod at once, feeling that at least for once, we've established some kind of truce. Whatever's going on is far from over but at least she's finally decided to let down her walls long enough to let one person in. And I'm thrilled that it's me she's decided to confide in.

She moves to get out of bed, but I gently push her down onto the bed at once, hating but admiring the way she always has to push some things. She glares up at me, but it's half-hearted.

"Don't you dare. Katarina would kill me you know," I say jokingly, but firmly too. "You need your rest"

"But you'll stay?" her voice is oddly vulnerable again, and she looks so young as she gazes up at me, her eyelashes heavy with suppressed tears. "You'll stay with me?" she whispers. I settle down on the chair next to her, drawing it close to the bed.

"Of course I will" I draw the covers up close to her chin, and brush my hand over her cheek, her hair. Her eyes flutter shut, a soft smile on her face. I'm not surprised to feel the same peaceful smile appear on my face too. "Always"

Xxx

**Cody**

"How are you feeling about tomorrow?" Ethan asks, his face almost gentle for him. We're sat opposite one another as we rehearse my speech for tomorrow, the first time I actually get to talk during the Tour.

"What is this, a counselling session?" I roll my eyes as I gaze at the sheet of paper in front of me. "Because I'm not in the mood"

I haven't been in the mood to talk to Ethan for months, not since Albert died, even though Ethan wasn't in on the plan. I know he means to help me and wants the best for me, but I still can't help but connect him with the mogs and their actions now. Yet I don't have a mentor now and he's the only one I have left. And after the impossible task that the mogs have given me, I know that I need his help more than ever.

"What are you in the mood for then?" Ethan puts down the cards. "Do you want to train some more? I've heard reports from Deltoch; apparently you're doing much better in training now. They're even considering putting you in the Scouts at some point"

I scowl and pick at a loose thread on my jumper. "Just the Scouts?" I grumble. Ethan's face registers shock but he hides it with a smooth smirk.

"The Scouts are one of the most prestigious ranks of soldier in Lorien," he says calmly. "If you became a Lieutenant in one of the regiments, then you'd have at least 30 mogs under your control. That's a better position than you currently hold," he points out. I wince, thinking about my stupid position. Truth is, I don't have one. Turns out the mogs aren't used to Loric with legacies helping them so they're not quite sure what to do with me; I just tend to train and then drift from job to job.

"Any mog can become a Scout if they work hard enough" I scowl, picking harder at the thread. "I'm better than most mogs. Why should I settle for such a low job when I can do better? I could be a General if I wanted" I point out. Ethan smiles, his face pacifying, but I can see the annoyance in his eyes.

"I'm sure you could," he says smoothly. "But you have to fulfil this task first and then continue your training" he stands up, heading over to the window. It's dark outside and I should start getting ready soon for the meal and dance this evening. I don't need to worry about the speech; I believe in everything written on the cards.

"What happened after Navaria?" I ask Ethan curiously. The Mentors haven't told us anything, but after working with the mogs for six months I know they'd never let something like that go without fighting back in some way or form.

Ethan's face is tight as he turns to face me. "Do you know the district of Mort?" he asks me. I shake my head with a frown and he sighs impatiently.

"It's a small city, doesn't hold much importance. It's about two hours away from Thorold" I wince at the name of my old city, but don't say anything. "There's always been a slightly resistant attitude there, but they went crazy after Navaria, and then today" his face darkens.

"What did they do?" I remember the video, and the name Mort rings a bell. Maybe it's the same place that I saw the riots in the video.

"Immediately after Navaria, they destroyed the Mayor's headquarters. Fortunately, the mogs were prepared enough to control the riot…but earlier today, they tried it again" I can tell by the look on his face how well that turned out. "They were well prepared at first: they killed the Mayor, and killed a lot of the mogs at the ceremony" he sighs. "Until the Scouts were sent in"

"The Scouts?" I sit up, intrigued despite myself. I've seen one of their training sessions, and despite my earlier contempt, they are terrifyingly good. I'd never want to fight one of them; I'd be killed in seconds.

"The video that you saw had been sent to Surveillance and they decided to send some Scout regiments over" Ethan tells me. "They only got there yesterday…they stopped off at another village to stop riots there too" he sits down heavily, his face covered in shadow. "Mort has been destroyed"

I gape at him. "You mean, it doesn't exist anymore?" I ask in shock. I knew the mogs were harsh, but this seems too much. "What about all the women and children? The elderly?" I'm horrified, despite my anger at the resisting Loric. Ethan shoots me an annoyed look.

"Those same people were the ones chanting for the mogs to be killed," he says sharply. "Remember whose side you're on" I nod meekly, and look down, trying to get to terms with my shock. It's shocking to know that in the space of a day a town that was standing is no longer there. And just because of some stupid speeches.

"I've failed my job," I groan, putting my head in my hands. "Deltoch warned me that I had to stop everyone feeling this way, but instead, I'm just making everyone even angrier!" I fist my hands up.

Ethan shoots me a sympathetic look. "It's not your fault" he reassures me. "Henri was in charge of allocating speeches and places…well apart from a few circumstances," Ethan admits, "And he hasn't let you talk before. The mogs know that you can't fix the anger when you can't say anything. Ignore Deltoch, he's just jealous of you," he says dismissively.

"Jealous? Of me?" I snort. "Why? He's a commander and is one of _them._ He has nothing to be jealous of!" I say in annoyance. Ethan smiles, a satisfied look in his eyes. I know there's no love lost between him and Deltoch, and seeing as he and I are much closer than I am with the mog, it seems that Ethan thinks he's won. I don't have the energy to care.

"Because you're Loric with incredible legacies" Ethan praises me. "You're rareness has interested the Beloved Leader. Deltoch will never get that level of recognition and he knows it" I can feel my chest puff up a little at the praise and I sit a little taller.

"When I'm superior to him, I'll set him an impossible task and see how he likes it," I grin smugly. Ethan laughs, standing up and heading over to me, a proud look on his face.

"I'd like to see that" he says. "But to get a superior position, you have to do as you're told. And that means learning these" he tosses the cards at me. I catch them easily with telekinesis, barely even thinking about it.

"Fine" I take the cards out of the air and spread them out on my lap. "I'll do it…this time anyway" I shoot him a grin and see him roll his eyes. I glance down at the cards, covered in words like 'honour' and 'glory'. Yeah, this won't be so hard to learn.

Besides, I have to do this job. I have to show the mogs that I can be one of them, and I _want _to be. Yes, they made me kill Albert, but I realise now that he was a liability. He was ignoring his duty of a Mentor, and left me to simply train by myself. It was harsh to make _me_ be the one to kill him, but after all, I did need to prove my dedication to them.

And I could part of the Scouts! I grin at the thought of being a lieutenant of the Scouts, working my way up to Captain eventually. I close my eyes and think of winning wonderful victories against rebellious Loric, until our Beloved Leader decides that Captain of the Scouts is too lowly a position for me and I need to be a General. I think of working with Setrakus Ra, being able to advise him, talk to him. The thought fills me with excitement and I open my eyes, greedily reading the cards at once.

I'll make my dream come true. The other Victors may look down on me now, but in a few years time, they'll wish they had been me.

Xxx

**Sophia**

"What do you think the twist will be?" I ask Christina, as she steadies the punching bag. Her hair is tied back, like mine, and she's wearing similar training clothes. Her face is red and I can tell she's getting out of breath. Yet we're both enjoying this training session, which reminds us of the daily workouts we would have to do back when I was a tribute of the Games.

"For what?" she pants, holding the bag in place as I lash out. She grunts as my fist hits the bag, and I see her struggle to keep it under control. I can tell that in the past few months that I've been training, I've gotten stronger and tougher again. I've strengthened the skills that I could have lost simply because I felt sorry for myself.

"The Anniversary Games" I lash out at the bag again. "They're announcing the twist. What do you think it's going to be?" I ask curiously, imagining the bag to be Setrakus Ra. My next punch almost knocks Christina over and she laughs, backing off.

"Who knows?" she bends over, breathing heavily. Sometimes I forget about the injury she sustained in first stages of the Occupation. A bullet to the chest that left a small part of the casket lodged in her body. It bothers her a lot, especially when she works out.

"I bet it's going to be something to do with the Loric. Maybe double number of tributes" I frown. "Think of the worst thing that could happen and I bet they'll choose that" I say, wiping my sweaty brow. Christina snorts as she straightens up, her hand on her chest.

"Always so positive," she rolls her eyes. "There's no point worrying about something that's not going to happen for six months" we head over to the benches, where our towels and water bottles are waiting.

"But we're going to find out about it in a few days, when the Tour is over" I frown. "When _is_ the Tour over?" Christina laughs, reaching for her towel and wiping it across her face.

"They've got Baladh, Moridas, Thorold and then the Capital left. So about four days" she grins. "The Tour is never long, usually about a week max" she smiles. "Bet you're glad you weren't on the Tour. All that travelling as well as having to appear presentable. You'd have to wear a dress!" she laughs, reaching for her bottle. I shrug, reaching for my own towel.

"I don't know…it would have been nice to leave the Capital for a while" I sigh. "But I guess I'd rather not have to read out those speeches though" I wrinkle my nose. "The mogs aren't holding back are they?"

Christina frowns slightly, her face more thoughtful. "They wouldn't go over the top for no reason," she says wisely. "For whatever reason, the mogs are going overboard about how wonderful they are" she winks at me. "Maybe because of your _friend's_ speech in Navaria"

I blush a little, trying to remain unaffected. "Maybe" Christina is still grinning at me, and I'm tempted to throw my towel at her to wipe the smirk off her face. "But in all honesty I could punch him for that…what they did to that crowd afterwards…"I trail off, my mood plummeting as I remember the shots that I heard in the crowd, just before they switched the cameras off.

Christina's face is serious too. "Whatever happened won't go unpunished," she finally says. "They'll pay for that"

"They won't though!" I burst out in annoyance. "They _never_ pay for what they do! They always get away with it!" I scowl, bunching my towel up and then throwing it at the wall. It flutters to the ground, useless.

"They will this time" Christina's voice has an odd quality to it and I turn to see a weird smile on her face, one that I haven't seen often before. "This time, they _will_"

Xxx

_"__Let the 13__th__ Annual Funeral Games begin!"_

_The sun beats down on the arena and I can feel a hot wind tugging at my clothes, my hair. Sand gets into my eyes, making my eyes sting, and into my mouth too, drying it in seconds. I blink a few times to get rid of the dust, and try to get used to the bright light so I can make out my surroundings before the 60 seconds is up. My heart hammers in my chest and I'm sweating, both from the heat and fear. My eyes finally adjust and I take in the arena, my body filled with urgency._

_The cornucopia glints in the bright sunlight, on a ground of sun-baked sand. I glance around me, my horror growing as I just see sand and cacti; it's a desert. Our arena is a _desert._ There'll be barely any water and not many places to hide. There's a small oasis nearby and further in the distance is the darker shade of trees and hopefully water: another oasis. I can see the ring of tributes all around me and further beyond us, the mogs._

_And right in front of me the cornucopia glitters in the bright sun, it's bounty spread out around it enticingly._

_I take a deep breath, trying to steady my pounding heart. I can feel tears of panic and fear in my eyes but I have to focus on getting out of here, not crying. Nearby I hear another tribute break down into tears, deciding that panic is the best option. I blink back my own tears, listening to the clock counting down and a new wave of fear washes over me, so strong that I feel my knees buckle._

_A nearby tribute begins to frantically fan himself in the heat, his face flushed. He's fair and pale and I can tell this heat is something he's never experienced before. Meanwhile, growing up in Baladh means that I'm used to heat and sun and dust. Running in this may be hard for me, but for other tributes it'll be a death sentence. It seems that I actually have an advantage after all and this thought gives me a tiny rush of confidence; it's small, but enough to give me a spurt of self-assurance._

_"__Concentrate" I whisper to myself. I imagine Corban next to me, telling me to focus and be in control. I imagine him giving me the strength I need. I picture my older brother's face in my mind, smiling at me like he used when I did something sweet or funny. If he were here now, he'd stand in front of me and protect me from every mog here. But he's not and I'll have to do the protecting myself._

_10…_

_I see a nearby rucksack on the ground and then a belt of throwing knives a few paces away from that. I'm fast enough that I can grab them before making a move._

_5…_

_I'll have to make for the further away oasis since the closest is going to be overrun with the mog tributes._

_The cannon booms and I'm off._

_My feet slam against the hard ground and plumes of sand rise behind me as I sprint for the rucksack and spear. Fear gives me an extra spurt of speed and I'm there in five seconds, scooping the objects into my arms and throwing the rucksack onto my back so I can run more easily. I can see other tributes running but I can't spare a second on them. I spot a large bottle of water just a few more metres away, but I can feel the clock counting down. _

_But I'm so hot. And sweaty. And thirsty._

_I make a run for the filled-up bottle, berating myself as I do it. I watch as more aggressive tributes run for the cornucopia, whilst others stumble around, not really sure what to do. I want to help but I can't; the mogs will be let loose soon and I want to be on the outside of that circle when that happens._

_I sprint away from the cornucopia, listening to the clock counting down and the mogs jeering at us, as they get ready to run and kill. The sun beats down on me and sweat pours down my face, but I am so close now. Only a few more paces and I'm beyond the mogs' circle. They won't go for me; they'll take down the easier tributes first and go for me later._

_Five seconds. I'm so close._

_The cannon booms just as I speed past their circle, not a second to waste. I expect to feel a mog tackle me from behind but there's nothing. Maybe they decided I wasn't worth it or there was another, easier victim closer by. I race away from the cornucopia and the nearby oasis, knowing that will be a death trap within half an hour and sprint for the safety of the further away one, one that looks big enough for all tributes to hide in. I bet that's where most of Round 1 will be, assuming that all the kids make it to there without dehydrating or being killed first._

_Instinct makes me jerk the rucksack up to cover my head when I hear a whistling noise, and I feel something lodge heavily into the material. I turn, whilst running, to see a mog standing on the edge of the circle, throwing knives in his hand. I gasp in fear and increase my pace, terrified of being caught. The mog keeps his eyes on me, and then turns away. But I know he'll remember my face for later._

_It won't be the last time we meet._

* * *

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	12. Chapter 11 - Baladh

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* * *

Chapter 11 – Baladh

**Marina**

The first thing that hits me when we reach Baladh is the heat. It's like a solid wall of humidity hits me the minute we step off the ship, leaving me desperate for air conditioning within seconds. The sun beats down on my skin and despite the heat, I'm glad I'm wearing a long sleeved shirt to protect me from the inevitable sunburn. Next to me, Ella pulls her hat further down on her head, her fair skin particularly sensitive to the sun.

"It's so hot" Joseph complains, fanning himself against the humidity. "How can it be this hot here, when it's snowing in the Capital?" he protests. I smile, pulling my hair up into a ponytail and longing for the strong winds of Innail that seem so appealing right now.

"It's beautiful" Ella looks up around the city, at the weirdly shaped round buildings with the twisting columns and arches. It _is_ stunning, but the heat makes it hard to appreciate the place.

"This way" Henri leads us through the bustling streets to the mog's headquarters, where we'll be staying today. It's a slow walk as there are so many people here and we can't push past easily. Children run past us, as adults sit in the shade, gossiping and laughing.

We pass the huge market here, and I can smell the spices and incense from the stalls. I can hear the bartering of confident Loric trying to get the cheapest price and I hear the laughing of children as the steal food from the poor fruit merchant's stall. I watch as women in elegant silk dresses with scarves draped over their heads to protect themselves from the sun stand and chat with one another. I can smell the delicious smells of spicy food being cooked nearby and my mouth waters.

"It's like a different world here," Joseph says in appreciation as we walk along. I can hear this weird kind of music, enchanting and exotic nearby; it's beautiful.

"It's wonderful" I have a smile on my face, as we wind through the small streets. It's the first time that we've been somewhere that doesn't feel touched at all by the mogs' presence. I know of course that it won't be the case, but on the outside, the place seems untouched.

The locals are watching us curiously, probably knowing who we are but they don't seem to care. It's refreshing to be here; we're not celebrities, or Victors or killers, we're just kids walking through a city. Next to me, I can see Ella struggling with the heat and the sun, and I link my hand in hers, helping pull her along. She smiles in gratitude, clearly flagging, and Joseph takes her suitcase off her.

"Not used to heat huh?" he asks. She shakes her head, exhausted, and I notice the dark circles under her eyes. She's only 12, but she looks so much older right now. I guess she's seen too much for her age, and instead of being allowed to relax and cope, she's just being thrown back into the memories again.

"You can't see much from down there," I say, bending down. "Climb on my back and you can see better," I grin at her. She clambers on, and I stand up, letting her see the scenery better. To be honest, the heat makes her weight that much more unbearable, but hearing her laugh and point things out to me makes me feel better.

"Thanks" she rests her head on mine and I grin, glad to have at least made this easier for her. She must be worried about her speech later on today, and even though I would do everything in my power to do it for her, I know I can't interfere with this. Besides, as much as I hate to, I know I have to let her grow up by herself.

We finally make it to the headquarters, and my arms are aching when I let Ella down again. We enter the building, and I sigh in relief at the cool blast of air. There's air con in here at least. My shirt is sticky with sweat, and I notice that I'm not the only one with that problem. I look around the foyer, saddened to see none of the beautiful décor or architecture that I noticed on the way here. It's always got to be modern technology with the mogs.

"Right, so we have an hour to unpack and get ready, and then we have to make our way to the ceremony" Henri explains. "Since there is a lack of rooms here, you're going to have to partner up" he says. "We've done it for you before you all start" he adds before the others can say anything. I can see him shoot a smirk at John, and nearby Stanley pats him mock-sadly.

"Maybe another time" he jokes, nudging Sarah too. I grin and Ella giggles, but nearby Maren's face remains cold.

"Right" Henri clears his throat to get our attention again. "Stanley and John. Joseph, Sam and Cody. Sarah and Maren. Ella and Marina" he reads the list out. "No complaining, or room swapping. It's only one night," he says. I shrug, pleased with my room partner, and Ella gives me a big grin. Joseph doesn't look thrilled, and neither does Maren, but like Henri said, it's only one night.

"We'll see you in an hour" Henri smiles. "Please make sure you're ready. I want today to go perfectly" I hear a few more laughs, but I know that deep down, Henri is being deadly serious. He doesn't want another incidence on this tour.

Somehow, with my fellow Victors, I don't really see how that is going to be achievable.

Xxx

"It's so annoying that we have to wear the traditional clothing of every place we go to" Maren fidgets in the long, tunic-like dress that we have to wear. We have to wear these headscarves as well, both to protect us from the sun, and because it keeps us cool. I actually find it quite nice to be dressed in an outfit that covers everything. It meant I didn't have to go through the ridiculous beauty regime that I normally have to.

"Why?" I smile at her. "It's to show that we respect their culture and that we'll obey their local laws. It's a sign of respect," I reason. She scowls, picking at the black headscarf.

"It's annoying" she frowns. I roll my eyes; she's just in another one of her moods. As much as I get on with her, she's a hard person to know. At the moment she's been very distant from us all, and today is the first time she's properly talked to us.

"I'm not going to be able to do this" Ella whispers next to me, looking paler than normal. In my amusement at Maren's mood, I forgot that Ella had her speech today. "I'm going to mess up, I'm going to ruin everything," she whispers, looking at me nervously.

"You'll be fine" I gently tuck a wisp of red hair under the green scarf. "You'll be more than fine, you'll be amazing" I reassure her. "You're smart and if _I_ could do it, then you definitely can" I smile. "Besides, with everything else that's happened so far on this tour, I definitely don't think your speech will look bad at all" I try to make her smile, but she simply nods, still looking unsure.

"I just don't want to let anyone down" she sighs. I open my mouth to say something but the pod stops; we're here. I can see from the queasy look on Ella's face that she's feeling as sick as I felt before my speech.

"You won't," I whisper, as the door opens and we're ushered out. Nearby, the guys are dressed up as much as we are, and it's funny to see them looking so uncomfortable. Even Ella manages to crack a smile when she sees Stanley's outfit almost bursting at the seams; apparently they didn't have his size.

"Just remember, that no matter what happens, just talk about how great the Capital is," I tell her as we're led to the headquarters. We always head onto the stage via the Mayor's building. "Just say how happy you are and how grateful you are to be alive. They'll love it"

Ella frowns. "But it's not entirely true" she points out. "It's not great at all" She's grown hugely in such a short amount of time, but in some ways she's still a child. She doesn't realise just yet how everything we've done is a lie.

"It's want they want to hear though" I gently push her in front of me as we line up outside the doors. "You have to say that Ella, or it'll be a repeat of Navaria again" she shudders but nods, and I see a steely light of determination in her eyes. She may be young but when she's older, she'll be a force to reckon with.

"Ladies and gentleman" I hear the Mayor say from inside the hallway as we wait to go outside. "Let we present to you the Victors of the Annual 14th Funeral Games!"

The doors open, and light and heat floods through as we walk through to lie to the nation.

Xxx

**Adam**

"Surveyor Sutekh, your presence is required by Head Surveyor Bates"

I sigh as I click on the request that is usually sent through the elaborate computer system that we have here. I send a confirmation note and then rest my head in my hands, not wanting to talk to my boss right now. I've slipped down in the league table again and I know he's been waiting a while to lecture me on poor performance. Ever since he realised my father is not exactly my number one fan, Bates has made it his mission to make me unhappy as much as he possibly can. My father, if he knew, would be taking a front row seat.

_You never know, it might be a good call-up; _Hannah tries to cheer me up. I shoot her a derisive look, knowing that being sent to the office is _never_ a good thing. I push my chair back, smirking at the loud scraping noise it makes and the mog next to me jumping a little in shock. Hannah laughs in amusement.

"You heading to the office too?" I turn to see Surveyor Kurt eagerly catching up to me, a big grin on his face. I nod, resigned to making small talk with the guy. He's nice enough but he's so over-excited by everything, even a trip to Bates' office.

"Yeah" I sigh, stuffing my hands in my pockets, ignoring the looks of annoyance from other surveyors at our talking. "I'm probably going to get fired" I snort. Kurt shakes his head at once, still smiling of course.

"Don't be silly! It'll probably be a promotion!" he grins. "Besides, I think _I'm_ getting called up about the Gamemaker position I applied for"

I almost stop in shock, but months of lying have made me one of the best deceivers here. I simply plaster a polite smile onto my face, trying to appear casual. I can feel Hannah's excitement adding to my nerves and having Kurt bouncing around next to me doesn't help.

"Hopefully they'll consider you for the process" I say. Applying is only the first step. After you send in the form, the mogs decide which ones they want to consider for the role, and which ones are unsuitable. Then there are a few tests, or interviews; it's very elusive and no one really knows what happens. Only the Gamemakers and the men holding the interviews know what goes on, and they never say a word about it. They don't want the future Gamemakers to have unfair advantages.

"I hope so too!" Kurt says enthusiastically. "I've improved on the league table! I'm now 235!" he beams. I try to appear pleased for him, but it's still a terrible position. I wouldn't be surprised if he's going to be chucked soon. Every year, around the time that the final year students graduate, the mogs hold interviews and application processes for all the 9-5 jobs, like Surveillance or Experimentation. It's not uncommon for an existing surveyor or scientist to get chucked out for someone better.

"Well, good luck all the same" I attempt a smile, as we arrive at the office. Nearby, Hannah snorts as she easily keeps up with me.

_Next time, try to sound more genuine. Anyone else would notice. Fortunately, your friend is just an idiot, _she laughs. I want to shoot her a look, but Bates' secretary is here and he would notice.

_I don't think it's good news for him, and you know what they do to mogs who can't do a decent job, _I reply. Hannah nods, her face turning more serious. The mogs that are deemed useless are sent to work on construction of arenas, or buildings…and I've heard the conditions and hours are awful. Only the most useless mogs and the worst Loric are sent to those jobs.

"Surveyor Kurt, Surveyor Sutekh if you would like to follow me" Bates enters the small room, gesturing through the open door to his office. Kurt practically skips in and I follow nervously, looking at Bates for any sign of a giveaway. My boss stares back at me calmly, not displaying any sign of anger or disappointment.

He shuts the door behind him and walks over to his large desk, taking his time. I see the normal computer that surveyors use, but behind his desk is a whole row of huge monitors, with screens and keyboards. It seems that not only does Bates monitor Lorien, but he monitors his workers too. I pretend not to notice and focus on the two envelopes on his desk instead, both with mine and Kurt's names.

"Surveyor Kurt" Bates starts with him. "Your performance has been lacking" his voice is blunt and I wince as I see Kurt deflate at once. He looks crushed, but I can still see the foolish hope in his eyes.

_This is what it's like to worship your race so completely, _Hannah says nearby. _You were never like that, not even at the beginning. _I don't reply; I'm not sure whether she's complimenting me or insulting me.

"You came to Surveillance a year ago, and your performance has deteriorated. Your highest position on the league table has been 187, and that was only maintained for two days" Bates frowns, his expression disappointed. "It has also come to our attention that you have applied for the Gamemaker role," he says neutrally. "You have been refused"

There's no elaboration and no explanation, just the refusal to be approved. Kurt looks like someone has hit him, and I want to intervene and help him, but after living with my father for years, I know there's nothing I can do. I could always argue for Kurt to stay on an extra month, but without improvement, the mog would soon go.

"You have also been fired" Bates says bluntly, not an ounce of sympathy in his voice. "Your performance is severely lacking, and we already have a line of candidates applying for the job who are simply better than you" Kurt looks close to tears.

"But…but what will I do now?" he whispers, looking shell-shocked. I watch him in sympathy, but part of me is glad that I'm not in his place. Hannah watches on neutrally; I have no idea what she thinks of this situation.

"We have sent your files to the job-seeking council. They will find you a suitable position. You will hear form them within a week" Bates says, a touch of sympathy in his voice now. It's clear what will happen to Kurt; he's going to be a manual worker, just as I expected.

_That's so unfair!_ Hannah bursts out nearby. I've never known her to be so angry about a mog being punished. _Why send him to such a bad job?! He'll probably die!_ She says in anger. Her eyes are furious, and a flash of nostalgia races through me at her anger; it reminds me of when she used to be angry with _me._

_Because someone has to do the job, _I reply sadly. _And it means that the threat of punishment is still alive and real, so future generations of mogs will try their hardest not to be like Kurt,_ I add. Hannah falls silent, but I can feel her simmering anger, as well as her worry towards my own fate.

"But…but Sir, I…I" Kurt stutters, his face abnormally pale. His hands are shaking and I can see tears in his eyes. I swallow the lump in my throat and remain stoic. Bates holds his hand up to stop Kurt talking.

"I'm sorry Kurt, but this is the way of the Mogadorian. We only support those who aid Mogadorian Progress," he says shortly. "You are dismissed" He turns his face away and Kurt stumbles to his feet, taking the envelope with his name on it. I want to say something to him, some word of encouragement but there's not a lot I can say. We all know what is going to happen to him.

"Shut the door behind you" Bates says coldly, as Kurt stumbles out of the room. The door is pulled shut weakly, and then it's just Bates and I. I feel nervous, and my hands are clammy in my lap. I take a deep breath and try not to act as if the past events didn't shock me.

"Were you aware of what was going to happen to Kurt?" Bates asks. "You do not seem shocked," his voice sounds suspicious, as if I sneaked in and read all of his files for a laugh. I shake my head, and try to act calm.

"No Sir" I say respectively. "It was obvious. His position was always very low in the League Table," I elaborate. Bates nods, looking at his screen for a moment.

"You have slipped in position too," he notes. "Yet you are still in the top 100, which is encouraging" For Bates, that's definitely a compliment. "I was surprised that you applied for the role of Gamemaker; you never seemed that ambitious" he adds.

"I know Sir" I nod, wondering if this is my first test for the role…if I'm even to be considered. "I wasn't ambitious at first. I always considered being a tribute of the Games to be the highest achievement, and after we were beaten, I felt defeated" I lie. "I went into Surveillance, believing that I wouldn't achieve more" Bates' eyes narrow but he lets me continue, despite the snub.

"My brother, Ivan, was a better Mogadorian than me and fought to get a better position. Seeing him fight for his role as Lieutenant of the Scouts only just recently began to inspire me…and then when I saw the video of the riots in Mort-" I pretend to shudder. "I wanted to be the best I could be to save my race from the Loric scum. I heard about the Gamemaker position and decided to try for it"

_Very convincing, _Hannah narrows her eyes. _If I didn't know better, I would have fallen for that._ I don't reply; my attention is focused entirely on Bates, who _does_ look convinced.

"It is not my decision to question your motives for applying, nor is it my job to ask what you would bring to the job" he sighs, sliding the envelope with my name on it. "I was simply asked to pass on the news that you have been approved for the process of testing for the Gamemaker position" he sighs, looking annoyed that I could get a better job than his. "Not that I agree with their choice" he adds, with a scowl.

I nod and take the letter. "Thank you Sir"

"And your job is open if you do not get the position" he adds, looking as if he's swallowed something bitter. I feel delighted though and nearby Hannah is grinning. I've made it over the first hurdle; now I just have to pass the tests. Part of me is glad as this is what Hannah and I both wanted, and another, more secret part of me is glad because it means my father will finally start to appreciate me more.

Hannah says nothing to that.

"May I be excused now Sir?" I ask, a smirk playing on my lips. Bates' eyes narrow more if possible but he nods, his lips pursed in annoyance.

_Don't get too happy, _Hannah warns me as I happily stroll down the hallways, back to Surveillance rooms where I'll finish what could be my final shift. _After all, this is just the beginning. It's going to be hard Adam, and you'll have more important people than Bates to convince._

Sometimes, I wish she wasn't so smart.

Xxx

**Cody**

The crowd watches me suspiciously as I step forwards, the cards in my hands. Their faces are filled with suppressed anger and hatred, just like in Navaria. After Ella's speech, I could see them getting more and more worked up, and now it's my job to calm them down. I can feel cold despair creeping through me, but I think of Albert. He wanted me to do this, so I _have_ to do this. Besides if I don't, I'll never work alongside the Beloved Leader.

"It is an honour to be here today, celebrating our success with the entire population of Lorien" I say. "If not for the generosity of the Mogadorians, I would never have come here to experience the beauty and prosperity of this wonderful city," I say. I hear a few mutters and glance down to see a nearby Loric glaring at me in anger.

"But today is not just a day of celebration, but of remembrance" I glance at the screen showing the young tribute from this city, Hannu. I feel distasteful as I stare at the picture; what a weak kid to be killed off so quickly. "We also want to share with you the sorrow of your losses"

"Your tribute, Hannu, was killed in Round 2 of the Games. He showed weakness" my voice is derisive. "He lacked the courage necessary of a Victor and he proved to the Mogadorians that he deserved to die" I hear some muttering in the crowd, and the looks directed at me are filled with hatred. Hannu's mother has broken down into tears and his father stares at me, fury in his eyes. But encouragingly, I see a few mogs nodding nearby.

"You have heard my fellow tributes talk of the opportunities presented to those who the Mogadorians deem worthy of success, but you have not heard of those that the Mogadorians deem as failures" my voice is hard; this is the principle that I stand by. If only the rest of my stupid race could see it too. If only they could open their eyes and see the mighty strength of the mogs. They will _never _be defeated.

"The Games are used to show the devastating effect of two enemy races fighting together. The Loric _will_ die, and our race will be wiped out forever. Any remaining survivors will not have the luck to be granted clemency," I say. I hear a few shouts and I shoot a glare at the people, feeling more powerful than I ever have in my life. This is what Ethan has prepared me for and I will prove the mogs that they were right to choose me.

"The Mogadorians are stronger than the Loric will ever be. It is their kindness alone that has allowed us to live and prosper. Do not waste or throw contempt at such a generous gesture. We should be grateful"

The crowd are shouting now and pushing towards the stage, as if to attack me. Burning anger and fear rises up in me; I'm saying what the mogs wanted me to say but it's causing anger and hatred amongst the crowd. I hear a few shots fired, and I glance at Ethan nearby, wondering if I'm doing something wrong. He gestures at the cards, his face stern.

"Recently, you may have heard of a few incidences occurring in the Mort District. The Loric there deemed it necessary to murder innocent Mogadorian Statesmen in cold blood, and they destroyed factories, homes, mines…" I shake my head in anger. "They mortally wounded the district until there was no other choice for the mogs but to demolish the place entirely" I fall silent for a moment. "Now, Mort no longer exists," I hear a few gasps in the crowd, and from behind me as well. I feel a grim smile make its way onto my face.

"_That_ is what fate awaits those who decide to rebel against the Capital. If you decide to work with the Capital, you are rewarded, like me and my fellow Victors. You are showered with rewards and gifts. If you decide to work against the Capital, everything you love will be lost" The crowd is staring at me, rapt and horrified. I am barely aware of the midday heat anymore as I watch the crowd, feeling my power increase, as their fear grows.

"Loyalty with kindness. Betrayal with punishment" my words hang heavily in the air. "We are all of us united, both victors and vanquished, in serving a common purpose. We serve to be one nation, one planet" I clear my throat, putting the cards down as I say my final lines.

"Mogadore today" I see anger on some faces. "Mogadore tomorrow" A few people shake their heads.

"Mogadore forever"

* * *

**So, I know it doesn't seem like there's a lot of action, but I promise there will be soon. Also, I want to build everything up – I don't think it would work if it went from nothing to everything.**

**Hope you enjoyed and please review!**


	13. Chapter 12 - Moridas

**Disclaimer – I don't own Lorien Legacies.**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you for the huge response to the last chapter. I loved reading all of the reviews and just a huge thank you!**

**Answer to review:**

\- **I realised that there wasn't much Navrina going on after reading your reviews, so I promise to write a Navrina POV in a few chapters.**

**Also, the Victory Tour is almost over! One more stop and then they're back to the Capital, where things will get a bit messy…**

**Please read on and enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 12 – Moridas

**Cody**

"Cody…can we talk?"

I turn at the hesitant voice, grimacing when I see Marina standing in the doorway of the small room. She's ready for the ceremony in Moridas already, dressed up in a coat and scarf for the cold weather there. I turn away from her and stare at the floor to ceiling window, that shows the scenery of Lorien far below as the ship speeds through the air.

"I came here to be alone" I reply curtly. She doesn't say anything but I hear a rustle of movement and then she sits down on the leather window seat next to me, her face thoughtful.

"You're lying," she whispers. "You came here to hide"

I grit my teeth and stare ahead of me, watching as a large lake appears in the distance, it's surface glinting in the weak sun. Now we're heading north and I can see the sun disappearing, and colder weather setting in. Already I've seen frost and snow on the ground. And then after Moridas, we'll be heading back to my old home, Thorold, tomorrow. The thought causes me so much pain and fear that I shut it out, and focus on the scenery.

"Cody?" Marina nudges me gently. I want to snap at her, tell her to mind her own business but I can't find the energy to. It's easier just to give it and tell her what she wants to hear.

"The others hate me," I say softly. "They want to kill me after yesterday's speech. I know they never liked me, but now…" I laugh bitterly. "Now Stanley would do anything to use a gun against me" I look at Marina, but she keeps her eyes focused forwards, her face surprisingly peaceful considering the topic.

"Yesterday…you sounded like you believed every word you said," she whispers. "Like you wrote the speech and wanted everyone else to listen to what you had to say. You didn't sound ashamed…you sounded _elated"_ she says, turning to face me. She looks tired, and her eyes are haunted. I wonder if mine look the same.

"Maybe I did believe them," I snarl. "What choice do we have, Marina?! The mogs control everything! They kill those that get in their way and-" I break off abruptly as I think of Albert. _He_ had gotten in their way and look what they did to him. They made me kill him and _I_ work for them. What do they do to those that work against them?

"And they punish those who disobey them" she finishes for me. "So you work for them," she adds. I shake my head at once, keeping my mouth shut. I don't she can tell through my lie at once, and I can't help but feel worried about her safety. She knows too much; the others aren't supposed to know that I'm an ally of the mogs. They're supposed to be in the dark.

"It's not obvious," she continues. "Stanley just thinks you're a freak" her voice is slightly angry. "The others don't care; they think you're doing it to save yourself, which is fair enough. I'm the only one who guessed…because we were partners in Round 2"

"Don't tell anyone," I gasp, panic setting in over my revealed secret. Ethan never prepared me for this. "Please…you can't tell anyone," I beg. "If they find out about you knowing, Marina, they'll kill you" I grip her hand and look her in her eyes. She looks shocked and filled with fear, but there's a steadiness on her face that I never expected to see from her.

"I won't," she promises. "Just…" she looks down at the leather seat, her spare hand gently stroking the soft surface. "Be careful Cody. I know you think people don't like you, or care for you…but I _do._ I don't want them to hurt you more than they have"

A lump forms in my throat. "You don't know anything" I jerk my hand away from hers and stand up, pacing around the small room. "You might have been right about me working for them, but it was _my_ choice!" I snap. Marina pales, and then looks out of the window again, her face unreadable.

"No matter how much you try to deny it, things are changing Cody" she finally whispers. "Mort is only the first place. Others will follow. You saw the people in Navaria, and then in Baladh. They were the only _openly_ resistant ones. But in Innail, there was just as much anger; it was just hidden better" she rises too. "The mogs know this. They know that us winning those Games changed everything" she reaches for my hand and I move away, trying to breathe normally.

"What are they going to do for the Anniversary Games?" she asks, voice soft. "What have they planned?" her face is nervous, and I can tell she's terrified of what's going to happen.

"I don't know" I lie. I _cannot_ tell her about the Games. I will not. The mogs made me promise to keep it a secret and no matter how kind or nice Marina is, I cannot tell her. "They haven't told me"

She smiles, but there's no happiness behind it. "You're lying again" I spin on my heel, angry with her for knowing me so damn well. I'm angry at the mogs for making me lie to my only friend, angry with the stupid rebels who are ruining everything. Marina winces, leaning back and away from my anger.

"I don't know anything," I hiss. "Your faith in me is touching, but misplaced" I lean back, breathing heavily. I run my hands through my short hair, wishing that she could just leave me alone and not bother me again.

"It's not" she shakes her head, her face filled with sympathy. My anger rises again but I know that I can't hurt her. I would never forgive myself. "You're stronger than you think and you don't need them. You know deep down that what they're doing is wrong," she whispers softly. "You just need to do something about it," she adds softly, hesitating by the doorway.

I sit down heavily on the sofa; panic flooding through me. Someone knows that I work for the mogs. She knows that I know what's going to happen in the Anniversary Games. I stare up at her, tears in my eyes, but not for me.

"Marina" I whisper hoarsely. "You have to get out of here. You need to run" my throat is tight. "You need to leave now. Take Joseph and Ella and leave"

"What are you talking about?" her face is filled with confusion and fear as well. "Are they going to kill us after this Tour?" she walks closer, her movements jerky with tension and suppressed fear. I shake my head, hot tears in my eyes.

"I can't tell you anything else" I say, my voice thick with tears. "I _can't. _But you have to go…_Please" _I beg. Marina straightens up, and I see a strong determination in her face that I would normally associate with Maren. Maybe I'm not the only one who's changed because of the Games.

"I'm not going anywhere," she says fiercely. "When we won those Games, we started this. I'm not leaving now, not even if they try to kill me. We have to finish what we started," she says. She stares at me, her eyes almost accusing, and then she turns and sweeps out of the room.

"Then you'll regret it!" I yell at her. "You'll _regret_ it!" I see her fists clench, in fear or anger I'm not sure, but then she leaves my eyesight.

Xxx

**Stanley**

_Maddy, the people in Navaria, Mort…_I grimace, as I think of all those dead and gone forever, just because of me. How many people were shot and beaten down just because I opened my stupid mouth and said something. The guilt that has only gotten worse since the Games threatens to drag me under its black influence, and I struggle to fight it off.

I've been having so many nightmares and migraines recently. My nights are plagued with memories from the Games: so many Loric children dying, Maddy included, and I'm haunted by the guilt of their deaths. My days are even worse, as I'm reminded of my mistakes in Navaria by the scowl on Henri's face, and the glowers from the mogs.

"Stanley?" I grimace again as I see Ella hovering by the door, looking uncertain. "We were wondering where you were," she enters the room, sliding onto the window seat next to me, watching the view from the window. Truth is, I've barely been looking at the scenery outside; all I can see are the crowds fighting back and the dead Loric…all because of me.

"I wasn't in the mood to socialise," I mutter, trying to smile for her. She nods, her eyes focused on the fields below us. We're getting closer to Moridas, I can see outside the chill and rain is already starting to set in. No more sun, no more heat, just freezing cold.

"You haven't socialised with any of us recently" she says softly. "Not after Navaria…not after Maren attacked you," she whispers. I wince, and look down at the seat, remembering when Maren humiliated me.

"She was right," I whisper hoarsely. "I should just keep my mouth shut. Then no one would have gotten hurt" I shut my eyes but all I can see is the old man being shot on the steps of Navaria's town hall.

"She wasn't" Ella reaches for my hand but I draw it away. She's better off staying away from me, or she could hurt next. "She was just upset and took it out on you" she tries to reason but I shake my head, hot tears in my eyes.

"She _was_ right!" I say hopelessly. "It happened with Maddy. She would be alive right now if not for me. If my stupid ego hadn't wanted to be boosted by killing mogs, then she would be alive!" I shut my eyes, rubbing my temples wearily. "And the people in Navaria would still be here too, if I hadn't kept my damn mouth shut!"

Ella watches me, her brown eyes gazing kindly at me. "I don't think that's true" she replies. "Papa said that people are angry, Stanley. After the Occupation, people want a change and that's what we're representing. You saying things like that is only the catalyst…it couldn't happen without their anger"

I snort angrily. "That's not what Henri said" I punch the seat in annoyance but Ella doesn't flinch away from my anger. Instead, she links her tiny hand with mine again, a soft smile on her face.

"Henri's under a lot of pressure as Head Mentor. The mogs are probably keeping tabs on him…that's what Papa says anyway" she frowns a little. "I'm not sure though, I don't know the system very well"

"The mogs can't keep tabs on everything that's alive," I complain. "Look how they did in Navaria" I snort, and then the sick feeling of guilt washes through me again. Ella must notice because she squeezes my hand.

"No matter what you said they would have reacted. Look at Marina and I. We said their speeches perfectly but still people reacted to them. You said what they wanted to hear and they still reacted. It's a lose-lose situation," she says wisely.

I glance at her in shock, wondering who this new girl is. She's older and wiser than the little girl I first met over a year ago. Physically she hasn't changed much, but there's an air of maturity about her that doesn't belong to a 12 year old. And it's all because of the Games. Anger rises in me once more, not towards myself, but towards the mogs. They changed her, by making her kill and watching others be killed. They _deserve_ to die.

_But is it worth it at the expense of others?_

"But even if we do fight back…even if the Loric do decide to do something" I sigh. "Do you know how many will die? Wars aren't games, Ella. People _will_ die. And we probably won't even win" I shake my head. "Henri was right, I should just let things go" I bite my lip, trying to ignore the ever-present guilt. "It's not like I can do anything"

Ella looks away from me, her gaze drifting to the approaching city of Moridas. It looks cold and bleak and miserable, and I can see white patches of frost or snow on the concrete buildings. It's not beautiful, like Innail or Baladh, and it's not as intimidating as the Capital; this city is just for practical reasons. I hate it already.

"Well" Ella shrugs. "The way I see it, if we give up, the Games will never stop, so kids are still going to die. And then of course Loric die everyday because of the mogs. So people are dying no matter what" she looks up at me, suddenly reminding me of Sophia with her blunt honesty. "I'd rather people die for a reason, wouldn't you?"

Xxx

**John**

Moridas hasn't changed at all. The streets are as barren as I remember, the sky as grey as it always was, the factories as dirty and loud as ever. I stand by the station platform, looking round at my old home city. My grandparents lived here until a few months ago but now they're gone, dead. Their house will have been given up to others and it will be like my family never even existed. I wonder where they've been buried, if at all. Maybe the mogs just threw their bodies in a pit. They've done that before.

"John?" Sarah grips my hand, as we're loaded into the heavy, metal vans that I remember so well. "Are you all right?" she whispers. I shake my head, squeezing her hand as the vans drive off, bumping over the potholes in the road. We're shaken around, knocking into one another, but I'm not too focused on that.

"They expect me to read the cards," I tell her in a low voice so no one else can hear. "But they've brought me to the city where they killed my grandparents" my voice is hard. "They can go to hell"

"John, no" Sarah whispers, her eyes wide with alarm. "You don't want more people to get hurt do you? We have to do as the mogs say"

We drive through the wide streets, and I watch as thin faces peer out of windows, as hungry children run alongside the van in case of any spare food. The mogs knock them back as they always did, and anger knots in my stomach.

"It's too late to stop people getting hurt" I reply. I stand and peer out of the small window in the van, my heart aching as the familiar surroundings rush by. The bakery where Thom and I would always hang outside, in case the baker decided to be nice and give us scraps. I see my old school where I learnt how to hide from the world. Then there's the factory that I was supposed to go to, but as I peer closer I notice something wrong. There's red on the side, something I've never seen on the wall before.

"What the-" I mutter, and Sarah joins me. She gasps and pulls me down, so that I don't see it, but it's too late.

There were bodies on the ground. And it was blood on the wall.

"It was a firing squad," Henri says from opposite me, his voice hard. "They didn't want there to be any issues with today's ceremony so they punished some known troublemakers yesterday…just in case," I grit my teeth and turn away from him. The anger is me begin to turns to cold, hard hatred.

We've done what the mogs want. We've read off the cards. Hell, Cody was perfect yesterday and apart from Stanley, we've all been pretty good. But innocent people are still being killed and hurt for something we haven't done. If they're going to get killed, they might as well die for a reason.

I strengthen my resolve, watching as we enter the main square, heading straight for the stage. No more fancy tours of the cities; the mogs are too scared now, too insecure of what could happen.

"We're here" the mogs open the back doors, and cold air floods into the back. Sarah shudders next to me, and nearby Ella pulls her coat around her tighter, but we don't say a word as we climb outside. The stage is ahead of us, with the usual cameras and screens surrounding the square. It's slowly starting to fill up with those chosen for the ceremony, and that's when I see him: Thom.

I'm barely aware of Sarah dragging me onto the stage, of her positioning me so that I'm in the right place. I'm barely aware of the mogs checking the microphone and cameras, to make sure everything is perfect for the speech. My eyes are locked on Thom's and he smiles weakly at me, his hand raised in a half wave. My best friend has changed in all the time we've spent apart. His face is thinner and he looks tougher, less put together. He doesn't look the boy I grew up with.

I wonder if I look different too.

I watch as some of the residents here are pushed into the square. They're thin, and shivering, and I can see the hardship clearly reflected in their faces. I think of my grandparents, of the way they died. Did the mogs bang on the door, knocking it off its hinges? Did they storm in with guns, shooting until my grandparents were lying on the floor in a heap? Did the neighbours watch them drag the lifeless bodies outside?

Anger and hatred and grief rise in me, until it chokes me. Hot tears fill my eyes and I blink hurriedly to brush them away. I glance down at the cards, my breath picking up in anger, and I know that I can never read these cards. Maybe a few days ago I would have paused, would have tried to think things through. But people are being killed, even if we read the cards, and besides, I want Lorien to fight. I want our people to fight back now. If we don't seize the moment now, then we never will.

I tuck the cards into my back pocket.

The Mayor steps forwards, saying a few introductory remarks, but my eyes are focused on Thom's in the front row. He nods at me, as if he can sense my anger, hatred and fear, and wants me to do something about it. And he's right, to _hell_ with the mogs. They deserve everything they get.

"John Smith!" my name is called and I move forwards, as if in a trance. Sarah whispers my name, as if to caution me, but it's too late. I'm sick of being the peaceful one, the smart one. I want to be the one to speak the truth, the say that the mogs are wrong and cruel and murderous.

I reach the microphone, watching everyone in front of me. Their faces are calm, but it's like I can sense the tension and anger underneath. The mogs have taken punishment out on them; it's clear with the corpses by the factory. Now I know how Stanley felt in Navaria; now I understand his burning anger to make the mogs pay.

"A year and a half ago, I was one of you" my voice is calm, but I'm murderously angry. The last time I was this angry, I was in the arena, trying to kill a mog. I could do the same now. "A year and a half ago I hadn't been selected to go into an arena and fight for my life"

"But I _was_ chosen" my voice is hard. "I had to leave this place, the city I loved for the Games" I see the Mayor looking at another mog in puzzlement, apparently not recognising the words. They don't seem to have realised that I'm ignoring the cards.

"I can't explain the Games to someone who hasn't experienced them," I say. "They were terrifying, exhilarating, life changing" I shake my head. "I met the most important person in my life, but I did the most appalling things. I killed people, became a tool in the Games for entertainment" my voice turns bitter, but I stop there. I have so much more to say. "I know that like me, the other Victors will never be the same. We try to forget, but we never will"

I take a deep breath. "I get nightmares every night of things that I did, things that happened to others. I know I'm not alone in this. We talk about glory, but there was nothing glorious in death or pain. I changed, for good or for worse I can't tell. But I changed" I look down. "I wasn't the same boy that my grandparents raised and I wish more than anything that I could talk to them, hear their voices and know that they loved me and forgave me for everything I did in the Games"

"They were everything to me," I say softly. "They brought me up, they were my parents when I had none. They listened to me, loved me, helped me…they were all I knew for 15 years of my life" my voice turns hard. "I never got to see them after the Calling"

"They died a few months ago" tears fill my eyes and my voice wavers. Not until this moment did I realise just how much I missed them, loved them. "I never got to meet them on Visitation Day, never got to hear their voices again, or prove to them that I was the same boy that they raised" I raise my eyes, looking at the crowd. I can see sympathy, pride and a whole load of other emotions. The mogs watch me suspiciously, but it just sounds like the speech of a broken teenager for now.

"I don't know how they died" I say, my voice stronger. "They say it was disease, but I don't know anyone else who died in that epidemic. All I know is that they shouldn't have died"

"We have been under control our whole lives" I say angrily, my voice stronger. I can see mogs motioning but then they stop moving, as if some have stopped them with telekinesis. "We have been vanquished, destroyed, punished and humiliated"

"We are made to fight in the Games. We are made to watch family, children, friends die on TV and then pretend that it's for honour!" my voice raises and I watch as the Mayor moves forwards to stop me. Then Stanley is there, holding the mog back, and the mayor can't move, whilst the other mogs are forced into place, by who, I'm not sure. Maybe some Loric in the crowd. I know I don't have long but this is my time now. "The odds are_ never_ in our favour!"

"We have been starved, beaten and threatened for 15 years" my voice shakes with anger and I can feel myself standing straighter as all the words I've wanted to say for so long finally come to me. "But this time, we have won. This time, we won the Games and we showed to them how strong we could be when we fight together! Imagine what Lorien could do if we all worked together! We _can_ do this! We-"

There's a yell and the mog soldiers begin to beat their way towards the stage. I watch as one wrestles free of someone's telekinesis and lunges for the nearest Victor, Sam. He goes sprawling onto the stage and then the rest of the mogs are free, and they surge forwards towards my friends. My time is up. I press my fingers to my lips and then hold it up in a salute towards the crowd.

I'm grabbed by the arms, and dragged away from the stage, watching as the crowd surge forwards with anger and renewed motivation after my speech. The mogs move into the crowd at once, and I hear more shots, but there aren't any screams this time. I watch with both horror and fierce joy as the crowd surges over the mog soldiers, beating the men down in seconds. The mogs on the stage drag me and my friends back into the mayor's headquarters, barely able to slam and lock the doors before the crowd rams into them, screaming and chanting in anger.

"Call for back-up!" One mog screams as three run down a corridor, communicators on their belts buzzing. The remaining mogs lift their guns, aiming it at all the Victors and I, to stop us doing anything.

"What the hell was that?" the Mayor practically shrieks, his face bright red with anger and fear. We can hear the chanting and screaming outside, as the drone of mog aircraft begins to come into hearing. I wince, panic flooding through me as I think of all those people outside. I want to help them, want to be out there fighting. But instead I have to wait in here, where it's safe.

"Don't you know?" Henri smiles. There's no anger, no disappointment, but there's a bright gleam in his eyes that I've never seen before. "That was resistance"

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**So, hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	14. Chapter 13 - Thorold

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all for the huge response to the last chapter! I love hearing all of your thoughts and ideas! Thank you!**

\- **That particular Unknown POV won't be seen again because the character was killed, but I'm sure there'll be others along the way :D**

\- **I definitely agree about Cody and Marina's relationship being the most interesting. I won't make them a couple or anything, but I definitely like writing about the two of them.**

**Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 13 – Thorold

**John**

"Are you angry with me?"

Henri stands by the open window, a cold breeze drifting through the gap. I shudder in my thin pyjamas, but Henri barely seems to even notice the cold. There's an odd look on his face, as if he's somewhere else completely and didn't hear what I said.

"Henri?" I ask. He seems to snap out of it, and glances at me, a smile forming on his face. He doesn't look angry, which is odd, because he was furious when it was Stanley in Navaria. But Henri doesn't even seem that bothered by what I said earlier today.

"Is everything all right?" he asks softly, glancing towards the other Victors. The Mayor's headquarters here are tiny and we've all been packed into one room. Most of the other Victors are asleep; I can see Marina and Ella tossing and turning, probably from nightmares, and I can tell some haven't been able to fall asleep at all. It seems that I'm not the only one who has trouble sleeping at night from all the nightmares and memories from the Games.

"I was wondering if you were angry with me," I whisper, not wanting to disturb anyone. "Because of what I said earlier," I frown. "I couldn't bear the thought of you being angry with me"

Henri smiles, a tired look on his face. "I'm not angry," he promises me. "I knew it was going to happen. I saw your face when we were travelling to the Square and when you say the bodies" his smile turns sour. "I knew you were never going to be able to read the cards after that"

"I just…I couldn't let them get away with it" I say, my voice turning hard at the remembered anger I felt earlier. "I couldn't just sit there and let the mogs think that they own the whole planet"

"They do though" Henri replies, but he's not arguing, just stating a fact. There's an odd look on his face; a mix of happiness and hopelessness…it's strange. "They don't like their authority being challenged" he sighs, shaking his head. "Who knows what they'll do now?"

He doesn't mean to make me feel guilty, or upset, he's just genuinely wondering what will happen. I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself as if I can protect myself from whatever the mogs are going to do next. I can see the dark outline of my city in the black night sky, but there aren't many lights on. It seems that people are keeping a low profile tonight after everything that's happened.

"What's going on in Lorien?" I ask him even quieter. "Are places really rebelling or fighting back, or are we just imagining things?" I think of what Cody said about Mort, the district that's been wiped out because of Stanley's speech. Maybe there are other places, more successful cities, than are fighting back and winning.

"I'm not sure," Henri admits. "I've heard some reports about Innail attacking mog headquarters and the same in Baladh, but I can't be sure" he frowns. "What I do know, is that whatever happens, the mogs will be fighting to keep it under control. And they'll win" his face turns grim.

"But people are angry!" I protest. "People _want_ to fight back!" I whisper urgently, aware of the two mog soldiers standing guard over all of us.

"Yes" Henri says reasonably. "But you can't overthrow the mogs with just anger" he says softly. "It takes months, sometimes years, and I don't think Lorien has the determination or will power for that" he sees my face, and softens, but he can't soften the disappointment that I feel. I feel like everything we've done has been for nothing, and nobody could be bothered to tell us that till now.

I hear a few shouts from outside and one single gunshot. My heart leaps in my chest and I peer outside, wondering if someone's getting hurt. There's a long silence and then the faint murmur of people talking. Henri pulls me away from the window, a worried look on his face.

"Things are getting worse," he murmurs. "This is _not_ good"

"What's going on out there?" I frown. I have no idea what happened after my speech. We heard shouting and screaming and more gunshots, and then finally the marching of mog soldiers. That was all we heard before they locked us in this room.

"The Scouts were called in," Henri says softly. "They wanted to destroy the city but couldn't whilst you were here. It's given the mogs the chance to calm down now, although they won't forget this tour in a hurry" he frowns, his face dark.

I try to swallow my panic at that. "What do you think they'll do?" I whisper, my voice hoarse. I can only imagine how we will be punished. More families dead, maybe one of _us_ will be killed. I look around the sleeping Victors, wondering what we've done to ourselves.

"I don't know" Henri shakes his head. "I just don't know John…I want to say that you'll be safe, but the mogs take this kind of thing badly"

"Well, I guess we'll find out soon" I sigh. "When the announcement for the Games takes place. They'll probably make the twist extra special" I wince. "Show us that they have the ultimate control" Henri sighs, looking outside once more, and then shutting the window.

"Get some sleep John," he says kindly. "You have a long day tomorrow'

Xxx

"Knock, knock" I pause by the doorway, watching as Maren looks away from the huge window. "Sam was worried about you, and so was I. You're being distant again" I smile. The ship rocks slightly in the blustery wind outside and I stumble, but right myself before looking like too much of an idiot.

Maren rolls her eyes as she turns back to the window, looking down at the snowy fields below us. We're right up in the north of Lorien now, heading to the northernmost city on the planet, Thorold. The icy glare outside hurts my eyes but I don't say anything as I join Maren on the window seat.

"I feel distant" she smiles, but it's half-hearted. "I don't feel like me anymore" her voice sounds vulnerable, and I know what she means. When I first met her, she was confident and deadly, ready to kill in the Games. Now she looks younger, more scared. I wonder what the mogs have done to her.

"You're still you," I try to make her smile. "I bet if I put a sword in your hands and chucked you into an arena of mogs, then the only one left standing would be you" she smiles again, but it breaks pretty quickly.

She looks awful, even for her. I notice the dark circles under her eyes and her skin is washed out, looking worse against the backdrop of her black hair. She looks like she's lost weight but I'm absolutely certain that she could still beat me easily in hand-to-hand combat. But it's her eyes that shock me the most. They're no longer strong and filled with confidence; they're scared.

"I just…" she frowns. "It's so hard because I hear you guys saying these amazing things in your speeches and I want to support you…but I can't" she shakes her head, upset. "I want to be able to stand up and be as revolutionary as you all…but I _can't"_ tears fill her eyes and I look at her in concern. This isn't the Maren I'm used to seeing at all.

"Why not?" I whisper. I remember her on the stage at Innail, looking at the cards with hate-filled eyes, but not saying anything in protest. "Why can't you join us?"

"We're here" she changes the conversation smoothly and the familiar cold mask that I got used to knowing in the Games appears. She stands up, her eyes focused on the approaching city ahead of us. I hadn't even noticed it as I was talking to her.

"Maren" I plead, standing up, but she snatches her hand away from me before I can catch it in mine. She shoots me a glare, but I can see that's she's barely holding onto her control.

"Leave me alone John," she says, turning and rushing out of the room before I can question her more. I turn in exasperation, annoyed at her ever-changing moods. But even I can't focus on my anger when I see the city ahead of me.

Thorold looks even worse than Moridas. There is snow and ice everywhere, and I can feel the icy temperature even in here. The buildings are concrete and made out of block-like shapes. I grimace as I look around, starting to understand why Cody would be so weird if he came from a place like this. It must be hell to live here.

"John?" I turn to see Sarah hovering by the door, a sweet smile on her face. "Henri's looking for you, and it's time to go" she reaches out for me. I take her hand but for the first time since I've been with her, it's not because I want to. It's because I have to.

Xxx

**Adam**

_Please stop fidgeting; you're making _me_ nervous, _Hannah grumbles, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. I ignore her as I look around the huge room, swallowing nervously at the sight. My leg bounces up and down, and my hands are shaking in my lap. I can't remember being this nervous for ages…the last time was probably when I was in the Games.

I take in the three rows of tables, each with five mogs sitting at them. We're all facing a stage, where a few mogs are taking notes at a table, as they look around at us. All of us are here to face the first test for the Gamemaker position, and I can tell I'm not the only nervous one here. I have no idea what they're asking me to do; all I know is that I have a set of headphones and a computer in front of me.

"Applicants" my heart leaps in my chest as I look up to see current Head Gamemaker, Claudius Turnus, step onto the stage. Unlike the Council members behind him, he looks tough and ready for business. I swallow again, noticing how dry my throat is.

"Congratulations to all those selected for the available Gamemaker position. Today is the first test" Claudius' voice is neutral, but I can only imagine how terrifying he must be in the headquarters during the Games. Many tributes have died because of him.

"As you are aware, Gamemakers have an incredibly hard and unpredictable job. You have to be ready for any event: an out-of-control tribute, a excessive number of mog deaths or even a kidnapping" Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I feel as though his eyes rest on me for a second too long. "You have to be calm under pressure and able to make independent decisions," he surveys the room.

"Today, we have devised a test that simulates the Games. A simulation will play on the monitors in front of you, and you will have to make choices; similar to some decisions that Gamemakers have made in the past. Your choices, and the following consequences, will affect your total score. Each score will be marked out of ten and you have five decisions to make. Any score lower than 35, and you will be removed from the remaining process" he says, his voice completely devoid of emotion.

I notice a few mogs exchanging glances, looking worried. _I_ feel even worse than ever, but Hannah shoots me a kind look. I know that I'm luckier than most because I have her on my side, and if anyone knows something about the Games, it's her. And I have an advantage over most mogs because I was a tribute in the Games, even if I wasn't a very good one. I just need to keep calm and focus, and I'll be ok.

Hopefully.

"You have five minutes to complete the task, to reflect time constrictions that we face in real life" Claudius heads over to the monitor on the stage, sitting down behind it so that he can watch all of our scores as the test goes on. He presses a few buttons on his keyboard and all the monitors in the room come to life, the screens starting to lighten. I swallow nervously as I pick up my headphones, putting them in my ears.

"Begin!" Claudius calls.

The screens are suddenly transformed into arenas, with computerised tributes on the screen. It's crazily realistic; it could almost be the real thing. The mog next to me has frozen tundra on his, whilst the one the other side has a lake; all are different so we can't cheat or copy. I watch as the guy on my right types in a few words on the screen, watching as the simulation of the Loric tribute is killed.

I ignore what they're doing and focus on my test instead. My one is filled with a jungle and I watch as the computerised Loric tribute battles with a mog, both tripping over the roots of large tree roots, sweat dripping down their faces from humidity. The Loric is winning.

"This Loric has a training score of 7 and hasn't killed any mog before today. It is the third day of the Games, and there haven't been any deaths so far today. The mogadorian tribute has killed a total of five Loric tributes so far, and is one of the favourites to win Soldier of the Games. What do you do?" the tinny voice informs me in my headphones.

_Let the mog die, _Hannah says at once, peering at the screen, looking interested despite herself. I nod in agreement, knowing that if this were the real thing, the audience would love to see a favourite killed by a Loric. I type in the quick command, my fingers shaking slightly. The scene changes, and I have no idea how I did in that round.

The arena has changed and it's like a mountain range: cliffs and rocks everywhere. My monitor follows the Loric tribute, as she treks through a worn-down path, a backpack slung on her back. I can see an odd rock formation above her, and I bet that it's some kind of trick on the Gamemakers behalf.

"This Loric tribute hasn't been in any fights, and it's the sixth day of the Games. She is two miles from the nearest Mog tribute. There is a rock formation above that is controlled by the Gamemakers; it will release as many boulders and rocks as you would like it to, and has the potential to kill her. What do you do?"

I think hard. I know that most mogs would instinctively want the girl to be killed, but then I think of the audience. There's no fun in that, in a quick death with no chance of survival. Sure, if the girl is a rebel, then it's acceptable, but this girl has apparently not been in any fights.

_A Gamemaker would pull some trick so that she would meet up with the nearest mog tribute, _Hannah follows my train of thought. _Maybe you should create some kind of rock avalanche, and the only way she can run is towards the nearest mog tribute. _Her voice is harsh; even this simulation is against the Loric, but I know she's right. I type the command in and the scene changes.

A mog is scrabbling around in a ruined city, desperately searching for a weapon. It's hot and sandy and I can see the Loric gaining on the mog. He grabs a brick, but seems too weak from a wound in his head. Blood drops down his face, mingling with the sweat.

"The Mog is the son of a commander in the army" I scowl, knowing that being the General's son didn't help me at all. "His record in the Games has been stellar but the Loric crept up on the mog as he was sleeping. He is about to be killed. What do you do?"

_Save the mog, _I tell Hannah before she can say anything. _The audience will hate the Loric for killing a mog in its sleep. They find that unfair._ I don't roll my eyes in this roomful of people, but Hannah does it for me.

_Well, why don't you send in some Gamemaker trick, just to make it good? Like flying fireballs or krauls? Whilst the Loric is preoccupied saving itself from the kraul or fire, the mog can kill it, _she suggests. I nod gratefully and type in what she said. I have no idea how I'm doing but I have two more to do. And only a few minutes left.

I look around at the rest of the room, watching as one mog puts his head in his hands, apparently stuck on a decision. Most are staring at their screens in concentration, and I look up at Claudius, watching as he smiles in amusement and points something out to a Council member next to him. I turn back to my monitor; I'll find out how I did soon enough.

The scene has changed again to frozen tundra, and I watch as a Loric huddles desperately in a small hollow that they dug out in a hill of snow. They're shivering and their fingers are starting to turn blue. They don't have the right clothes for the weather, and they don't seem to have fire. I hear the wind howling above, and even though it's slightly warmer in the snow dune, it's still below zero degrees.

"If this Loric survives the night, they will have made it through to Round 2. There are only ten other Loric tributes who seem likely to make it through to Round 2. Sponsors will need to send in matches and gloves to keep this Loric alive. What do you do?"

I frown a little. That's a hard one. Obviously the mogs love it when there are more Loric tributes in Round 2 and 3, but having 11 tributes going through would make an awkward number to pair up. Most mogs would say that the Loric should die because of its weakness, but I feel like that's the wrong answer. I feel like I should save the Loric, and it's more than my conscious that's speaking.

_Send in the matches for a fire. Then in Round 2, you can have a group of 3 Loric against a group of 3 mogs. That's even more exciting, _Hannah tells me. _A group of 3 or a single hand-to-hand combat. Depends. _She shrugs. I nod, relieved that she's here and helping me. I type in the answer.

The final scene appears, and I gasp at the familiarity. It's the forest that I was in last year for the Games. Next to me, Hannah sucks in her breath as she recognises the surroundings. The stream where they had that crazy tidal wave. The caves along the side where she kept me captive…it's all the same. I watch as a huge Loric boy fights a mog boy, the Loric winning easily. I watch as the mog's neck is snapped and the fight is over. The Loric presses his fingers to his lips and then holds it up in a symbol of rebellion.

"This is a sign for rebellion. What do you do?" is all the recording says. My fingers are shaking as I stare at the screen. This _did_ happen last year and they let the boy live. I think of all the problems some of the cities and districts are having now as a result of that. Hannah, the Loric and even I think it was a good idea to let him live, simply because of what's happening now, but I know from a mog's perspective it was the worst decision of all.

_Kill him, _I type into the command.

The screen goes black and the test is over.

Xxx

**Cody**

My throat tightens as I stare at the square of my old city, the place that I loathed and loved at the same time. I remember watching public executions here, back when I lived in the care home with the rest of the orphans. Before my grandfather took me away at seven years old.

Angrily I glance down at the cards in my hands, the words swimming in front of my eyes. I brush off some stray wisps of snow in annoyance, glad for the comfort of the warm gloves. I remember when I was younger I had to huddle under a blanket all day in my grandfather's mansion because he didn't have the money for heating. I remember my fingers turning blue and my lips becoming white from the cold. I remember my grandfather huddling in his jumpers, his teeth chattering as he told me stories about the old days of Lorien.

I hated him. I hated him for taking me away from the care home; as much as the carers hated us, at least it was warm. I hated him for taking me away from my friends and raising me in that old mansion of his, without any other human company. Just the two of us, and he was always in bed with a cold or fever or flu.

I know he's dead now. I can't see him here and I bet that the mogs would make him come and see his only family member left if he were alive. I'm relieved that he's gone. I can't stand to see the frail pathetic figure of my grandfather. It would be shameful and wouldn't help my chances of a promotion with the mogs.

The crowd files into the square, their shoulders shaking with coughs and hands rubbing together against the cold. Nearby I watch as a few slip on the permanent ice that covers the cobbles of the square and I can't help a snort as one of them falls over. Pathetic. I also notice the usual cameras set up all around the stage, as well as the screens, but I see that there are far more mogs than usual. Good. It'll stop my stupid fellow Victors from doing something stupid.

I'm furious with them. They're making my job so much harder, and making the mogs look bad. Ethan's told me of reports of other, although much smaller, uprisings in some of the major cities. Fortunately, each one was easily destroyed by the mogs, but it still worries me. I know that the Beloved Leader has something extra special planned for the stupid idiots that managed to win last year...I just hope that Marina and Ella are the only two that aren't involved. They've shown promise and could join our side. I know that I could convince the two of them once the others are out of the way; I _know_ I could.

"Cody, are you ready?" Ethan asks, rubbing his hands together as we wait for the instruction to go on stage. I nod, smiling confidently, although I feel sick. Ethan doesn't look great either; I know he's had a hard time on this trip, because the Mentors are here too and they haven't forgotten that he's technically a 'traitor'.

"Yeah" I nod. I glance at the stage and see Marina watching me, her eyes narrowed. A flash of guilt and panic races through me and I look away. She knows that I'm a traitor to her race, and although she hasn't told anyone, I'm still worried. I'm a dead Loric if Stanley finds out.

"Go show them what the mogs are made of" he smiles, patting my shoulder, and then stepping back. I climb the stage, taking extra care not to slip. That would be like the Pairing Ceremony all over again and the thought fills me with embarrassment.

"Don't do it Cody" Marina whispers, as she stands in line next to me. I try to ignore her and instead focus on the mayor making a few introductory remarks. The show has begun "Remember what side you're on" she whispers, so quietly that only I can hear.

"I _am_ remembering," I hiss back, just as my name is called. I step forwards carefully, glancing at the crowd in full. I recognise a few faces, but not many of the memories are pleasant. I watch them contemptuously, wishing that I could just _make_ them all see the truth.

"Over the past week, we have visited six different cities all over Lorien, to talk to the people there about our victories in the Games" I begin calmly, just as I was told to. Ethan told me that this speech was written by someone very high up, but I wasn't allowed to read the whole thing until now. The last card is a mystery to me.

"In Navaria, Stanley Worthington spoke to you about his dead girlfriend Maddy" I clear my throat. "He wanted you to believe that she died for a reason…and the truth is she did" I nod. "She died to save his life because he was unable to do it himself. She died because he was weak and was unable to fight like the believed he could"

I hear a gasp from behind me, but I know that Stanley won't be able to touch me, as angry as he is. There are too many mogs between him and me. I smirk, watching as the crowd look at each other in confusion and anger. They've only just heard the beginning of it.

"In Innail, Maren Elizabeth faltered in her speech and fainted. Many believe the mogs did that on purpose before she could say something revolutionary" I clear my throat. "She fainted because she was ill and weak, not because she was trying to resist. She's not nearly as strong as you think she is" I turn to see the other Victors gritting their teeth, and a grim smile plays on my lips. This is only the beginning.

"Yesterday in Moridas, John Smith talked of resistance and fighting back. He talked of a chance that the Loric had to seize. He talked about his grandparents, who he believed were killed by the mogs, yet died because of _him," _I turn to him. "Henri never told you the truth. Your grandparents committed suicide. They killed themselves after they saw what a monster you had turned into in the Games" I watch with sadistic pleasure as his face pales. Sarah tries to move towards him at once, but the mogs stop her.

"What my fellow Victors have mentioned to talk about is the opportunities the mogs offer. Sarah Hart, one of my fellow Victors, lives in a six-bedroom house, in a peaceful town, untouched by poverty or starvation. Her father was the Mayor of that town. Her life was comfortable, and many others are the same…all because the mogs offered them the opportunity" I watch as she grits her teeth, looking like she could kill me. I turn to my next target.

"As for Joseph Underwood, well, he was hardly living a life of discomfort," I snort. "He lived very comfortably in a care home, with many other orphans his age. He was fed, looked after, attended a good school, but he decided he was hard done to because his parents died" I shoot a glare at his face, with is filled with hatred. "But that was hardly the mogs fault. After all, his parents died of disease…_before_ the Occupation"

Joseph lunges forward at that huge lie, looking like he's going to say something, but the mogs drag him back. They clap a hand over his mouth, to stop him from saying something. I falter a little, knowing that some Loric will be furious with the treatment of the Victors, but Ethan just nods at me. He knew this was going to happen. I plaster a smirk on my face, as I turn to the camera and the audience, watching as the beginning of suspicion creeps over their faces. I may have had to lie a few times, but it's worth it to make the Loric see the _real _truth.

"They have talked of revolution, and of a life of misery under the mogs. Yet we live in the Training Centre, with round-the-clock care and anything we could ever want. _I_ do not feel neglected or abused. And neither do they" I see the crowd glaring at me in anger, hatred on their faces, but they don't say a word. They know I'm right.

"You may have heard rumours of uprisings in cities" I address the crowd again. "This is true. The Loric there have decided to listen to my fellow Victors and are throwing their lives away for a foolish dream. What you have not heard, is that every uprising was destroyed" The crowd looks scared and suspicious and unsure. But I can tell that my poisonous words are starting to undo all the damage that John and the others caused. "You see my fellow Victors standing there, unhurt, as others die for the stupid words that the Victors don't stand by"

I turn to the camera. "I have a message for Lorien. If you listen to these Victors, you will be killed, whilst they live on in luxury with the mogs" I lift up the last card. "Most of you will not believe me. You will think that all I say is an empty threat. Let me show you something"

The mogs clearly know what I'm gong to say because there's a shouting noise and then they drag two figures onto the stage. They're clearly Loric, but they have bags over their heads so I can't see their faces, and they're struggling desperately. They're forced in kneeling positions in front of the crowd and cameras, so everyone can see them. Stanley lunges forwards to fight for their protection, but the mogs haul him back, along with the others. Dread begins to creep through my veins; I scan the script, and feel sick at what I read.

"These Loric fought back against the mogs because of the empty words of the Victors" I look at the Loric, trying to hide my hidden horror. "Now, they will be killed for their actions"

There are screams in the crowd as two guns are pulled out, and pressed against the heads of the Loric. Maren and Stanley are trying to fight forwards to save the Loric, but they're not strong enough against the mogs. I watch as the mogs pull the triggers with a loud noise, and the two bodies fall lifeless to the stage. There are screams in the crowd, as people fight to get away from the stage, but the mogs around the edges push them back into position. I stare in horrified fascination, as the blood begins to drift towards my shoes.

"Thank you for listening" I say calmly to the microphone, as is the scene in front of me never happened. I hear sobbing and shouting, as I turn away from the microphone. The crowd desperately shove against the mogs to get away before they can be next, but the mogs are just stronger.

"Quick, to the headquarters" I tell one of the mogs, ignoring the furious looks of the others. I hear murmuring and crying in the crowd, and the horrible dragging noise as the bodies are pulled away.

"No!" I hear an imperious voice, and watch in annoyance, as Maren fights the grip of the mog. I try to get in front of her, lunging for her arm, but she grabs my hand and swings me around. I barely have time to fight back before she throws me onto my back, standing over me. Her face is filled with anger and hatred.

"You monster" she hisses. I can see mogs running towards her, and she lunges for the microphone, looking powerful and terrifying and deadly.

She doesn't say anything. There's nothing she can say that can disperse the damage that I'll have done to her cause. But there's something she can _do_ that is even more powerful. She presses her fingers to her lips and then raises her hand in front of her, a salute. The crowd stare at her, rapt and stunned, despite their earlier fear. She's impressive and it's hard to take my eyes off her as she stands there, arrogant and resistant.

Then the crowd, one by one, press their fingers to their lips and slowly raise it in a salute. The cameras are still on and the whole of Lorien can see this.

'No!" I lunge forwards to tackle her, and then I watch as the red light on the cameras switches off, and finally, the ceremony is over. But it's too late; the damage is done.

"You bastard!" Maren turns to me, swinging her arm back in a punch. My tackle is more powerful though, and I knock her to the ground, locking my hands around her neck. The crowd close to the stage surges forwards to protect her, but then the mogs turn on them, having had enough of all this resistance bullshit that we've tolerated for too long.

They begin shooting freely into the crowd and screams fill the air.

My hands tighten on Maren's neck, and she desperately claws at me, as my thumbs press into the soft flesh of her neck. A grin is on my face, a wild, delighted grin. She deserves this for trying to ruin everything, she deserve this for ruining my final chance for peace and a promotion.

"Enough Cody" Ethan stands calmly next to me, but I can see the anger in his eyes. The other Victors are being dragged inside but I can see John in particular fighting to come and help Maren. The crowd are fleeing now, but the constant stream of bullets from the mogs cuts some down mid-flight. Blood flows on the cold cobbles.

"She'll be punished in other ways," Ethan says, shooting Maren a look. She's desperately trying to breathe, but even at that threat, her face fills with fear. I loosen the grip on her throat and she rolls over, gasping for air.

"Cody, you bastard!" I hear the enraged yell of Stanley. "You'll pay for this!" I ignore him, instead watching as Maren is dragged away by the mogs, even as she still gasps for breath. I can see the red marks on her throat and I know it should disgust me, but it makes me happy.

"Did I do well enough?" I turn to Ethan urgently. "Despite what she did, did I do all right?"

Ethan frowns, watching the now empty square. Most of the Loric managed to get away and with nay sense, they'll run home and stay there for the evening. But not everyone made it out of the square alive. Mogs begin to drag the bodies away, smearing trails of blood on the cobbles. It's both gross but satisfying; this is what happens when you mess with the mogs.

"No" he shakes his head finally. "But you know that our Beloved Leader has a back-up plan" he sighs. "The Victors have sealed their fate," he smirks. "Any form of Resistance will be ruined after tomorrow. Now, it's time for some real punishment"

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**Hope you all enjoyed!**

**Next chapter is the Capital!**

**Please review!**


	15. Chapter 14 - Finale in the Capital

**Hi guys!**

**Huge thank you for all of the lovely reviews this week! I loved them all and just a huge thank you!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Thethoughtsofkarasu – don't worry about leaving a long review – any comment, no matter how short, is wonderful to read! :D**

\- **Navrina will take place within the next few chapters, I promise :D **

**Please read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 14 – Finale in the Capital

**Maren**

I've failed my family. I knew that the minute I stepped out in Thorold and held my hand up in salute to the whole of Lorien. Even though I knew it was wrong, and would be taken out on my family, I just couldn't let Cody get away with the lies. I think I knew I'd failed from the very first speech on the Tour; I knew that I would never succeed in my task.

And now I've failed my family. The thought of them causes a pain so deep in my stomach that I stifle a sob, shutting my eyes against the glare of the weak winter sun on the Capital. Being back here in the Training Centre reminds me of the claustrophobic fear that I thought I had managed to escape for a brief time during the Tour. The sight of the Temple, and the Monument Tower makes me feel sick; it just reminds me of all the trouble that's going on in Lorien because of me and the other Victors. It reminds me that my family could be kept anywhere in this deadly city and I have no idea how to save them.

I know the others are hopeful and think that our time has come to fight back. Even dealing with his grandparents' deaths, John is still hopeful. Even whilst coming to terms with his role in Maddy's death, as well as those in Navaria, Stanley still thinks there's a chance. Even the others, who have the same terrible nightmares that I do, who still struggle to come to terms with the deaths we caused in the Games, even _they_ believe in revolution.

"It's not going to work" I whisper hopelessly. I know the truth, even if the others don't. They believe in a new world now, but the minute their families are threatened, they'll scrap all ideas of change, all hopes for a new future, just to protect their loved ones. I know this because I did that very thing. I could have spoken out in Innail about a new world, about fighting back. I could have revealed what the mogs have done to me and my family, but I stayed silent.

It still wasn't enough.

Sam hates me for that. He hates me for blocking everyone but John out, and he hates the fact that I've changed. And in return, I've grown angry with him for trivialising the issues I'm dealing with, as though everyone else is going through the same problem. I haven't spoken to him since Innail; I don't know how to approach him and breach the subject. I know he wanted me to do more, to speak out about the mogs and their cruelty, but I didn't. I know that John feels sorry for me, and claims that he understands, but he doesn't. He just doesn't.

"Maren" I'm not surprised by Kat's face as she hovers by the front door, communicator in hand. We haven't spoken either; I've been blocking her out and she knows it. "You have a visitor" she looks nervous, unsure. I simply nod, swinging my legs over the side of the window seat. I know who's coming. I knew he'd come the minute I came back to the Capital.

Kat opens the door and gasps as the Leader of the Mogadorian race enters. Setrakus Ra is as tall and as cruel as ever, and he strides in as if he owns the place. He doesn't look angry, or disappointed, but devoid of emotion. Kat pales in horror, her head whipping between me and Setrakus Ra. Realisation dawns on her face and I can see the blood rushing to her cheeks in anger.

"Leave us," Setrakus says before Kat can do anything, his voice filled with power. His attendants listen to him at once, grabbing Kat by the arms and dragging her out of the room. She struggles, but it's pointless; the mogs are far stronger than she is. She calls my name but I don't look at her once; I'm entirely focused on Setrakus' face. I don't even feel that scared…just _numb._

"You know why I'm here of course," he says, settling down on the armchair. Even settled amongst the soft pink cushions, he still looks terrifying and like a monster. It seems there isn't going to be any niceties this time. Good, they make me feel sick.

"I failed," I whisper, feeling numb. "I didn't do as you wanted"

"No" he shakes his head, picking up a small glass ornament. He turns it over and over in his hands, apparently fascinated. "No you didn't" He drops the ornament on the floor and I wince as it smashes into a thousand tiny pieces. I think he did it on purpose.

I stand up, suddenly filled with the urge to defend myself. If he sees my point of view, if he sees what I had to face, then maybe he'll be more lenient. Maybe I still have a chance you save my family after all.

"I wanted to speak in Innail," I say in a rush. 'I just…I had stage fright and then the mogs shot that dart thing into me because they were worried and-" Setrakus holds his hand up and I stop rambling, hating myself for my obedience. But I can't defy this dictator now, not like I did yesterday.

"It's not your actions in Innail that concerns me. It's what happened yesterday," he says. I feel panic creep up onto my face and he smiles tightly, a grim look in his eyes. "Yes, you know what I'm talking about. You were hardly acting like someone desperate to save their family. You were acting like a stupid little girl, who wanted to prove to herself that she is strong"

"Are my family all right?" I ask in a rush, panic in my voice. "Please, don't hurt them. Hurt _me. _This is my fault and I'm willing to be punished for it! Please, take it out on-"

"Oh, we will Miss Everdeen" Setrakus stands up, and I shrink back. It's almost as if he grows taller, like he's manifested some legacies or something. Knowing the mogs' love of technology, they've probably learnt how to chemically manufacture legacies. "My advisors and I have come up with an excellent way of retribution for you and your fellow Victors, whilst fixing this _problem_ that you have caused"

I watch him head to the window, feeling numb with fear. "What…what are you talking about?" He smiles, simply looking at the Capital. I shiver and look around the room, feeling small and weak. I don't feel as strong as I used to be. I don't feel invincible. I just want to go home.

"You and your Victors have been causing trouble" he sighs, as if upset, although he acts pleased more than anything. "Not just on the Tour, but in the Games as well. Your actions and speeches have even caused some small uprisings in the districts, although those have quickly been suppressed" he chuckles, and I wince at the sound.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, but he does nothing. It's like I don't even exist.

"We will have to deal with the root of the problem, instead of the consequences. And the fault lies with you and your fellow Victors" he turns to me. "Do you understand what I mean?" he asks. I nod slowly, my mind racing.

He means to kill us.

"Don't kill them…it's not their fault" I whisper softly. Setrakus laughs, but it's not a happy sound. It's terrifying; filled with anger, disappointment and hatred.

"I think you and your friends have proved the complete opposite" he retorts. He turns to the door and a burst of panic races through me.

"What about my family?!" I practically beg. "Are they alive? Are they safe?" He turns to me, a smile on his face. It's the sadistic smile of a killer, who knows that he's got all the time in the world to torture his subjects because no one will come for him.

"They are alive and under our protection" he replies. "As for their situation in the future…well, that rests entirely on you" he says. He reaches the door and then smiles.

"Before I forget" he says, almost courteously. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a red rose, the fragrant perfume reaching me from there. I try hard not to wretch, my knees feeling weak as I step forward to take it. I feel sick, and my hands are shaking so hard, but Setrakus doesn't say anything as I take the rose from him. He just smiles, as if his favourite toy has done something right.

"See you this evening Miss Everdeen" he opens the door, and I can see his mog attendants stand to attention. "As always, it has been a pleasure"

Xxx

**John**

I fidget in my black tuxedo, as the pod glides down the long driveway that leads to the Presidential Palace. It's the finale of the Victory Tour, finishing in Setrakus Ra's estate in the Capital, and the ceremony tonight will be huge. No expenses have been spared since this will be televised, just like everything else. They want to prove that they're still in control. Mogs have been invited from all over Lorien, and even Setrakus Ra will be making an appearance. I know I should be excited, but I'm secretly terrified.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Henri sits opposite me, his face tense as he looks outside at the dark night.

"Sure, it'll be easy. Just smile and act like a Victor," I pretend to be confident, as I look at the long line of trees racing by outside. Each Victor has our own separate pod, so we can arrive one-by-one. I wish more than ever I had the support of the others.

"I'm serious John" Henri sighs, looking as uncomfortable as I feel in my tux. "Setrakus Ra will be here tonight" he looks around, as if for a camera. "He's angry, John, especially with you, Maren and Stanley"

I frown; dread forming in my stomach. "What?"

Henri scowls impatiently. "The Loric were angry after the Games; after you all won, they felt stronger than ever. It soon died down but the people weren't so scared... Setrakus hoped that the Tour would re-install fear into the people, but it just ignited their hopes again" he shakes his head. "He's angry John, really angry. Things aren't going his way"

"But it'll stop again now that the Tour is over" I can't decide whether I'm happy or relieved by that. "Once we're hidden from sight, the people will stop fighting"

Henri shakes his head, looking worried. "Not this time…it's different, and Setrakus knows this. I'm worried that he's going to do something to put an end to all of this, once and for all…I just don't know what he's going to do" he frowns in frustration.

I run a hand through my hair, watching as the glittering lights of the estate come into view. I can hear the music already, and I can already imagine the hundreds of mogs standing and talking, waiting for our arrival. I think of Setrakus Ra, his cold dead eyes, watching me as he says his very own speech. I feel sick, and I wipe my sweaty hands on my trousers.

"What should I do then?" I swallow, the pod gliding up towards the entrance of the ceremony. I can see crowds of mogs eagerly waiting, in front of the huge estate. It looks beautiful, with elegant towers and twisting balconies, but I just feel dread as I stare at it. It looks like a prison.

"Act like nothing out of the ordinary happened" Henri says quietly, as a mog attendant moves forward to open the door. I'm the first Victor here but I can see the other pods waiting behind me. I wonder if the others know how much danger we're in.

The door opens and I step out to the cheering crowd. Hundreds of mogs stand in front of me, the colours they're wearing hurting my eyes. I plaster a smile onto my face, pretending to be shy instead of terrified. The crowd of mogs stretches up the many steps that lead to the estate, its huge hulking presence visible even in the darkness. Lights are strung up all over the trees and bushes all around the mogs, and I can hear the sound of music coming from the palace.

"Time to walk" Henri's smile looks a lot more convincing than mine feels but I nod, walking towards the crowd. We have to pass through them to get to the main estate, where the real party is.

I lose all sense of time and place as I enter the party. If not for Henri's grip on my elbow, I would be lost. As I walk through the crowd, everywhere I turn there are mogs in bright colours, smiling and calling my name, trying to talk to me, to touch me. I feel dizzy but keep the smile plastered on, knowing I have a job now. I'm in Setrakus' territory and I have to keep him happy.

Henri and I finally reach the end of the steps, and the estate spreads out in front of us. It's huge and despite the lights strung up on the balconies and around the windows, the building just seems dark and formidable to me. I swallow, and take a glass from a mog attendant holding a tray, looking behind me. I can see the line of pods stretched out as the other Victors slowly make their way to the party too. I hear someone call my name and watch as my stylist, Prya, walks towards me, a beam on her face.

"John, come and meet Flavius and Octavia!" she calls happily. Henri lightly pushes me towards her, a tight smile on his face.

"Remember, you have to keep him happy" he hisses, and then I'm dragged away by Prya.

I'm barely aware of anything as I drift from conversation to conversation. Everybody wants to talk to me, to talk about the Games, the Tour, my new life, Sarah…I can't keep up, and my smile feels more and more forced. I drink whatever is pressed into my hands, and eat whatever Prya says is 'simply divine!' I'm dragged from room to room; a large dining room stacked with hundreds of plates, a ballroom where glamorous couples dance to the music, to the gardens where everyone seems to be talking about either politics or the Games. My head swirls and I just want to sit down somewhere quiet. I just want to disappear.

I'm finally left for a bit of peace and quiet in one of the large gardens of the estate. I can see the main balcony ahead of me with the crest of the Mogadorians. That's where Setrakus Ra will be making his great speech, and I know that the other Victors will be brought here when the time comes. I look around, seeing if Sarah is nearby, but I can't spot her.

"It's all a pretence" I turn to see Maren nearby, her hair curled softly around her face. I notice that she's been dressed in a delicate smoky grey dress that matches her eyes, but she looks so young. I can't see the other Victors, but I suddenly have the feeling that the stylists did this on purpose. They want to make us look young and vulnerable.

"What is?" I ask. I'm clutching another glass of green stuff and she's carrying a plate of food, sickly sweet looking things, but she doesn't seem interested in them at all.

"The party" she replies. "It looks beautiful and welcoming on the outside. But inside it's deadly. We have to watch our step" she winces as she hears a loud burst of laughter nearby.

"We have to keep them happy…after everything we've done" I reply. Her face is serious, and I see that her eyes are hard and cold like they were when I first met her. She doesn't look scared or fragile anymore; she looks as if she's had enough of being weak.

"He'll never be satisfied" her voice is filled with certainty. "Too much has happened now" she sighs. "He's going to do things his way now, and not rely on us to do it for him"

I frown, about to reply, when I see some of the other Victors being led in here. Stanley looks very serious, his face cast with shadows, and Ella looks nervous, as she makes her way over to Maren and I. Cody looks weird, happy and nervous and relieved; it's an odd mix and I have no idea why he feels that way. Sarah looks as beautiful as ever, her blonde hair pulled up into an elegant hairdo. She's wearing a light pink dress; similar to the one she wore when I first met her.

"It's time for his speech" Maren whispers, as the others join us. Henri pushes us towards a tiny stage at the back of the garden, so that the mogs can see us if they can be bothered to turn around. We're important, but nobody wants us to steal the attention away from Setrakus Ra.

I hear the blare of trumpets, and then the mogs excitedly begin to crowd together, eager to hear what their leader is going to say. The other Victors look both a mixture of nerves and feeling sick; they must know the danger resting on this moment. They must be able to sense the tension that we've caused in Lorien.

Setrakus Ra steps forward on the balcony, standing above us all authoritatively, but it's not the monstrous version that I'm expecting. Sure, he's still as tall as ever, and his face is filled with that same malice and cruelty. But it's like somebody has smoothed over his features, making him appear more humane. I turn to see Maren presses her lips together, an angry look in her eyes. Sarah grips my hand hard, and I can feel her shaking. I know she wants me to hold her, but sometimes I wish that she could be strong enough to not need me. I have more than enough to deal with sometimes, without worrying about her too.

"Welcome" Setrakus Ra begins, and his voice isn't as horrible as it used to be either. I frown in confusion, wondering if the mogs have noticed the difference, but they're staring at their leader in delight. "We have gathered here this evening to celebrate our Victors of the 14th Annual Funeral Games!"

There's the usual delighted round of applause from the audience, and I clap as well, knowing that this is what Henri wants me to do. Setrakus Ra smiles, but I can't see any happiness in his face. He focuses on us Victors at the back, and I can almost see the anger, the hatred that he feels for us. We have damaged his reputation as well as his hold on Lorien, and he does not easily forgive.

"It is truly an honour to celebrate your bravery, courage and strength. Here are nine young people, who embody our ideals of strength and valour" Setrakus' eyes drift over all of our faces, settling on Maren's. She's as white as a sheet but she stares steadily back. None of the mogs seems to notice anything amiss; they're hanging off Setrakus' every word.

"Your win in the Games will not easily be forgotten" Is it me, or do I sense the threat underneath his pleasant tone? There are more cheers and claps; I watch as many mogs face us, huge beams on their faces. Setrakus holds his hand up to silence the crowd, a polite smile on his face.

"Your courage has inspired us. And I know it will go on inspiring us, every day, for as long as you may live" he finishes. His smile is the cold smile of a predator, and I know that with those words was a threat. I turn to the Maren next to me, to ask what she thought he meant, but she's gone.

Back on the balcony, Setrakus raises a toast, his cold eyes watching us with something like triumph.

Xxx

**Marina**

The last time I was at a celebration this grand, it was the Celebration Ball after the Games. At that time I had been happy and filled with hope for the future. To me, it was just the beginning of a new start in the Capital with Joseph and Ella. This dance is completely different. I just feel nervous and sick as I wander around the party, talking and dancing with those who want to, just like I'm supposed to. Adelina had warned me that Setrakus was unhappy after the Tour, and after his speech, I know she's right.

He's not going to forgive us for diminishing his grip on Lorien. He's not going to sit back and let us continue to say revolutionary things, and destroy all credibility he has as a leader. In his mind, he's given us more than enough freedom and I can tell that any chance we had at a normal, safe life, has gone completely.

"You look worried" Joseph stands next to me, as we stand in the corner of one of the many gardens. The others Victors are nearby, looking as weary as I feel, but we still have a role to play. I watch as a mog walks up and asks to dance with Sarah, who graciously accepts. John takes a large drink from his glass, looking pale in his black suit.

"I _am_ worried" I sigh. "I just…we're finding out what's going on with the Games tomorrow and after everything we've done, I'm worried that they'll do something awful as retribution" I grip my glass tighter. Joseph nods, his face lined with worry.

"We might as well enjoy the moment then, before we find out" he says, but his voice is grim. Nearby, Ella is dancing with Stanley, a sort of jive, and she's laughing as he spins her round and round and round. I watch as a few mogs nearby look on with endearing looks on their faces, not sensing the tension that I've felt the whole evening. I force a fake smile on my face, just as Adelina told me to do.

"Marina!" I hear someone call my name, and watch in confusion as Cody rushes over, a huge beam on his face. "Marina!" he reaches me, panting with the exertion of running to get me. "You have to come! Someone _very_ important wants to talk to you in private!" there's a huge beam on his face, but my stomach sinks with dread. Joseph frowns in confusion, and I watch as some of the others look over in curiosity. I'm not exactly a stand out Victor compared to most of them.

"Can't it wait?" I ask, not wanting to leave the safety of the others, but Cody shakes his head excitedly.

"Trust me, you_ do not_ want to miss this" he says, his face lit up. My fingers shake slightly as I place the glass down, feeling the other Victors glances on me. Nearby, Maren's face is a mixture of dread and confusion.

"Lead the way" I fake a smile and Cody immediately turns around and pushes his way through the mogs. I have to speed walk to keep up, pulling my blue dress up so I don't tread on the edges. I feel sick, and nervous as we approach the main building of the estate, and I wish more than ever I could be in the safety of the gardens with the others.

At least Ella wasn't called up.

"Who is this person?" I ask, but I have an idea. There's only one person who would make Cody so happy and full of himself. There's only one person who would cause such excitement with this treacherous Victor.

"You'll see" he replies, grabbing my hand and dragging me through another clump of mogs. I can feel them touch me as I go by, their hands stroking the silky material of my dress. I know they're simply fascinated to see a Loric Victor in real life, it's usually mogs who win, but it still makes me sick. I'm even relieved when we reach the doorway, and the hallways are mostly clear of mogs.

"You go up the stairs, down the corridor and then the last door on the right" Cody instructs. I glance at him, but I don't see any sign of fear or nerves on his face. Maybe this meeting is just a pleasant one and there's no reason for me to worry.

Deep down, I know that I'm lying to make myself feel better.

"Thank you," I say mechanically, as I head towards the stairs. My legs are shaking and my knees feel weak, but I force myself to stand tall and proud. I'm glad I put the glass down because I would have probably spilt it on me by now, and ruined the beautiful dress that Hector made for me.

I follow Cody's instructions, marvelling at the rich décor in the building. The paintings are huge and have deep, rich colours, whilst the doors are carved ornately, with gold paint around the edges. It's a bit too much for me, but it's beautiful and intimidating all the same. I reach the last door, taking a deep breath before knocking.

The door swings open and I wince a little at the eeriness, before stepping inside. The room is warmly lit, and decorated in rich colours of red and gold. There are sofas arranged around a huge fireplace, a warm fire already burning. There are huge floor to ceiling windows, letting in the glittering lights of the party, as well as the sounds of music and chatting. Along the wall behind me, there are chests of drawers, with little ornaments and pictures on, but I don't focus on those. I look directly at the huge desk in the centre of the room, occupied by the Mogadorian Leader.

He looks like he did earlier, terrifying but civilised at the same time. He's wearing that black suit, with the gold pocket watch, and would almost look like a good leader, if not for the sadistic smile on his face. He gestures for me to take a seat opposite him, and my legs walk me forwards with my bidding. I sit down on the chair, relaxing a little in the soft cushions, wincing as the door slams behind me.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet me" he says, sounding polite but detached. He doesn't sound angry but he must be; why else would he want to talk to me?

"I got the feeling that I couldn't refuse" I find myself replying without even thinking. A blush appears on my cheeks and I brace for a hit to my face, but he simply smiles in amusement, as if I've done something good.

"True" he shrugs. "I've been interested in meeting you for a while now. You are a _special_ case Marina" he tops his head, looking at me up and down. I want to fidget but I stare calmly back, imagining myself as Maren. If she were in this position, she would be strong and brave and say what the hell she wanted. I have to be like her.

"I am?" I ask politely. He nods, reaching for a glass of red liquid, taking a sip from it. I smell the reek of blood mixed with roses, and notice the large vases filled with the flowers all around the room. I hadn't even noticed them before, but now the smell of roses is almost sickening.

"Indeed you are" he replies, placing the glass down again. It seems to be an even darker red now, but that must be my imagination. "You are not a fighter, yet you won the Games. You are apparently shy, yet you speak your mind. You look weak, but are stronger than most" he smiles, but not nicely. "I'm not quite sure what to think of you"

I remain silent, stretching my fingers out slightly in my lap. I had them clenched so hard in my lap, and the joints ache with the pressure of my grip. I take a shaky breath, but try to remain as calm and composed as I did earlier. Setrakus watches me and I have a feeling he knows exactly what I'm thinking, exactly what I'm doing.

"Cody believes that you are like him, that you are different from the others," he continues. A flash of anger at being compared to Cody races through me but I keep a neutral mask on my face. How dare Cody talk about me with this mog! How dare he think that I could be a traitor like him!

"He believes that with enough teaching, you could work for us, like he does" I frown a little, pretending to be unaware of Cody's situation, but Setrakus laughs.

"Don't lie to me, Marina. I know that you know about Cody's position with us. He told me that you guessed" he shakes his head. "Cody is a liability. He thinks too highly of himself, when there is no cause to" he muses.

"Why am I here?" I blurt out, dread making me speak out of turn. I regret it at once, but again Setrakus simply smiles.

"I just wanted to meet you" he replies. "I had heard a lot about you, and I was intrigued"

I take in a deep breath. "And what do you think?" I don't know where this more rebellious side of me is coming from, but I'm glad that it's appearing, instead of my shy one. And Setrakus seems to appreciate that too.

"I believe that he was right, for once," he laughs. "I think you _are_ very interesting, Marina, and it would be a shame if anything happened to you and your little friend, Ella. She may be young, but I sense that she has great power in her…just like her family" he murmurs, his voice turning quiet. I frown, as he reaches for his glass again and takes a sip. "Do you know why the Mogadorians came to Lorien?" he asks.

I'm a little startled by the topic change, so I simply stare at him. Setrakus smiles, but there's a cold light in his eyes now, the same one that was there earlier when he said his speech. The same light that was there when he talked about our courage inspiring people. I remember Adelina's warning, and I can feel panic curling in my stomach at the discussion.

"For the resources?" I finally say. He shrugs a little, his eyes still cold.

"Well, they were an advantage, certainly, but that was not the main reason" he watches me closely. "It was revenge, Marina. Pure, simple revenge" I shiver, twisting my hands together. My palms are clammy, and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I need to keep calm, but how can I, when his eyes are so cold and filled with anger?

"Have you been in a real war, Marina?" he asks, his voice dangerously soft. "Do you know what it would cost?" I shake my head earnestly.

"Imagine thousands upon thousands of your people dead. Imagine cities destroyed, razed to the ground. Imagine the destruction of the Loric race, and the planet Lorien, damaged beyond the point of resurrection" his voice is still soft, and I swear he can hear my fast breathing and beating heart. "Do you want that?"

"No" I say instantly. Setrakus smiles.

"The Victory Tour was the time to stop the flame of rebellion spreading and igniting," he says. "The Tour was the opportunity to smother it. Instead, you and your fellow Victors, fanned the flames…gave it _oxygen"_ He shakes his head. "I have no other option but to take matters into my own hands"

"I didn't want that" I say, but my voice sounds weak. "I don't want that" He doesn't listen, heading over to the window. I can still see the glittering lights outside, swaying slightly in the cold wind, and I can still hear the music, although it sounds ominous now.

"Neither of us wants war, Marina," Setrakus turns back to me, his face cold, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Which is why I now have no choice"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will be a very special announcement…**

**Please review!**


	16. Chapter 15 - Announcement for the Games

**Disclaimer – I don't own LL or HG.**

**Hi guys!**

**So once again a huge thank you for all of the reviews! I really appreciate them, especially because I know some parts of this story have been a bit slow, but I felt it was necessary to put everything in – I don't want to rush anything. So thank you so much for all the support!**

**Answers to reviews:**

\- **Reviewer 101 – **I'm glad you're enjoying it! Let me know how the time machine goes! :D

\- **Jul312/ Fantasy of Lunar Marina –** I love Marina too! There's just something about her POV that is so interesting to write. I always do the big events from her POV, just because I feel like she has the best viewpoint. Also, I hope you enjoy the evil twist!

\- **Diankis – **Don't worry, I don't plan on ever giving up on this story. It's far too much fun to write! :D

\- **ThethoughtsofKarasu –** I'm glad you've enjoyed the past few chapters! I also wanted to put Setrakus talking to Marina in because she's often forgotten yet in my opinion it's the quiet ones that are so dangerous. Also, her cryokinesis will be coming eventually – I haven't forgotten, but I want to put it in at the perfect time (don't worry, I have it all planned out).

\- **Xxstarsnowxx – **The red liquid will be explained eventually…that's all I can say for now haha.

\- **Guest – **I'm sorry for the long updates, I know a week can be a long time to wait. Unfortunately, I've still got some exams coming up so I am focusing more on those, but I hope that I may be able to update more regularly once Summer is here.

**Please read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 15 – Announcement for the Anniversary Games

**Marina**

_This is it._

My hands are shaking in my lap as the emblem of the Capital appears on the screen in my apartment, the anthem playing loudly. Next to me, Hector reaches out and lightly presses his hand on my shaking knee, to stop it bouncing up and down. He shoots me a soft smile, and I laugh nervously, knowing that I'm being silly.

"Don't worry" he reassures me. "Whatever happens won't affect you," he says gently. I nod, taking a deep breath, knowing he's right. The worst that could have happened to me has already taken place. I've survived the Funeral Games and the Tour; it's all over for me now.

"Maren was saying that they might make districts nominate tributes," I whisper numbly. "Something along those lines for maximum impact" I know that whatever happens is because of me and I feel sick. This is the Victors' fault, yet we're not the ones being punished. The feeling of guilt is just as bad as fear.

Hector nods, gently brushing my hair back. "That's likely" he nods, a sad smile on his face. "But at least you're safe here, with me. You're out of the Games now, you don't need to be scared," he gently takes my shaking hands in his, ignoring my clammy palms.

I watch as the screen transforms, and the emblem of the Capital changes so that the Temple of Setrakus comes into view, the stage cut into the stone foundation of the Temple occupied by Setrakus and his advisors. I watch the two burning braziers next to the podium, warming up the air in the freezing cold morning. The Promenade that stretches out in front of the podium is filled to burst with hundreds of thousands of mogs, all cheering as they wait for the announcement.

"Welcome" Setrakus Ra steps forwards, and my heart thuds in my chest with nerves. Who is going to die because of me? Who is going to be dragged away from their families with no training, just because of me? Adelina quickly rushes in from her bedroom having heard the anthem, her face calm but I can see the worry in her eyes. She is in the dark as much as the rest of us, and I know that scares her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the fifteenth year of the Occupation and consequently, of the Funeral Games" Setrakus begins calmly. The audience cheers at once, their excitement genuine. _They_ have nothing to worry about, apart from the Games being boring. They want a good twist, unlike me.

"It was written in the Charter of the Games, that on every significant anniversary, there would be an Anniversary Games, to keep fresh for each new generation the memory of the Occupation of Lorien" Setrakus says eloquently. There are cheers and applause in the audience, and I tighten my grip on Hector.

Setrakus focuses on the camera that must be directly in front of him, a smile on his face. I remember that cold voice, and that cruel look in his eyes when he talked to me yesterday. He wasn't lying when he said he had to take matters into his own hands. I shakily brush a strand of hair away from my face, listening closely.

"The Anniversary Games are distinguished by the use of only Loric tributes, with Mogadorian Tributes exempt from the Games. The 30 Loric tributes are to fight to the death amongst themselves in an arena until only one lone Victor remains"

I freeze in shock and horror, my heart beating frantically in my chest. No, this can't be happening. This is a completely different twist from what I was imagining: there can only be one survivor. This is their punishment: maximum number of Loric deaths. My eyes meet Adelina's but she doesn't look as horrified as I feel, instead she simply smiles sadly at me, as if this is nothing new.

"That rule already existed, just it's not very well known since there has never been an Anniversary Games before" she says hurriedly. "That has nothing to do with you and the others" she reassures me. I breathe a sigh of relief, but I'm starting to feel sick. Dread and fear pound through my veins and my heart beats frantically in my chest. That wasn't the twist then, which means the real thing could be even worse. Even Hector looks alert, his eyes focused clearly on the screen.

"As well as this, each Anniversary Games is distinguished with a special twist, and now on this day, the 15th Anniversary of the Occupation, we celebrate the first Anniversary Games" Setrakus says grandly and the audience bursts into applause.

I lean forwards, my hands gripping the edge of the sofa. My mouth is dry. Setrakus clears his throat and looks directly at the camera. He smiles, his eyes cold.

"As a reminder, that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capital, on this, the very first Anniversary Games, the Loric tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of Victors"

No. _No._

Everything goes blurry. Adelina cries out in horror, her hands flying to her mouth to muffle her scream. She starts crying, a horrible wailing sound that reverberates around and around in my head. Hector yells in anger, grabbing a glass bottle and chucking it at the screen. The screen shatters and goes blank, Setrakus Ra's triumphant face disappearing from my sight.

I get to my feet shakily, the world spinning around me, and I feel someone grab my arm. Panic and anger and fear surges through me and I push the person back, barely hearing Adelina calling my name. I stagger away from the couch, and run to the door, needing fresh air. Oh god, I need to get away. I reach the door to my apartment and wrench it open, my breath coming in gasps. I run out of the hallway, hearing someone coming after me and I bolt in a panic. I have to get out of here, have to escape, have to run far, far away. Panic clouds my mind and I run and run until I can't run anymore.

I end up on the roof, surprisingly empty considering the situation. I would have thought the others would be here to break down too. I feel shaky and sick, and my body is shaking like mad. I fall down to the ground, landing painfully on my knees, but I don't even notice that much. I lean my head against the cool ground, shutting my eyes. Oh god no, _please_ no. This can't be happening. I can't go into the arena again, I just can't.

_The Loric tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of Victors_

My stomach heaves. I barely make it to a nearby plant pot before I throw up bile, the stench filling up my senses. My throat burns as I vomit, emptying my stomach. I wearily sit back, tears rolling down my cheeks, my hands shaking so much that I can't wipe the tears away. I begin to sob, putting my head in my hands, as the hot furious tears roll down my cheeks.

This is our punishment. This is what we get for going against the Capital. Nobody will ever want to fight the mogs again because this is what happens. I'm going into the arena again. Ella will head into the arena, and so will Joseph, and Maren, and John, and Stanley, and Sarah, and Sam. There will only be one winner this time, only one survivor.

The odds are _not_ in my favour.

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**So, hope you enjoyed! Not one twist but two! Also, I know it's a much shorter update but I wanted this chapter to be short for maximum impact...**

**Please review!**


	17. Chapter 16 - The Calling

**Disclaimer - I don't own LL or HG.**

**Hi guys! **

**Thank you all so much for the huge and very long reviews! I love them all so much and I enjoyed reading each and every one of them! I really can't say thank you enough but I'll keep trying! So thank you! :D**

**Hope you're enjoying the story and please read on!**

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Chapter 16 – The Calling

**Marina**

I sit on the metal bench, shivering slightly in the cold wind that whips around the large hall under the Training Centre. The pods are nearby, ready to take us to the stage by the Temple for the start of the Calling for the 1st Anniversary Games and the 15th Annual Funeral Games. I feel numb, as though all feeling has left my body.

I remember returning to my rooms last night, to Adelina crying and Hector lying drunk in his own vomit, after splurging on the only thing that could help him: alcohol. I could have cleaned him up and soothed Adelina, telling her that I'd fight to survive. But instead I'd returned to my room, grabbing a bottle of the strong spirits that Hector used to love so much. I drunk the whole bottle, but it still didn't help me forget a thing, even when the room was spinning and I was throwing up myself. I regret drinking it now; my head is pounding and I have a horrible sick feeling, although that might be because of the Calling today.

Around the hall, I can see the other Victors, waiting with their Mentors. Not just Victors from my year, but from previous ones too. Some beast of a guy that looks around 28 or something, and a sly looking 24 year old women, who grins as she looks around. It seems that some of them are almost happy to go back in there and kill.

In actual fact, it's not strictly true that these are all Victors. Most are just Loric that were granted clemency by Setrakus Ra in Round 3, before the mog Victors could kill them. Some years, Loric were just allowed to die so there weren't any survivors, but in most years, two or even three were allowed to live, just like Setrakus let the two mogs live last year. Maybe it's to make the mogs look generous at allowing some to live. But in actual fact, many here are not Victors at all; they just had the luck of surviving longest in their own Games. But then, calling us survivors doesn't sound nearly as glorious as Victors, so I guess a little fabrication wouldn't go amiss.

Stanley is closest to me but he doesn't say anything; his face is blank, but I can only imagine what he's feeling. The last time he was in an arena, the girl he loved sacrificed herself for him. I see John and Sarah nearby, their arms around the other, as if they can block everything out, but I know from experience that it's impossible. Maren is as emotionless as Stanley, but Sam has tears streaming down his face, not afraid of looking weak. Joseph, oh Joseph…it hurts looking at him. He meets my eyes and attempts a smile, but it breaks and I feel tears form in my eyes. I blink them away hastily, not wanting the audience to see me weak.

They're forcing me to fight against these people that I love and I can't do it. I put my head down, clenching my fists in my lap. I just can't do it…it would be better to let them kill me, than become a murderer. My life is not worth as much as theirs.

"Marina" I look up and my eyes fill with tears when I see Ella. I reach my arms out and she throws herself into them, sobbing in my neck. She's shaking and I close my eyes, hating the mogs for putting her through this. I could kill them for this. She's only 12; she shouldn't be forced to go through this once, let alone twice. It's a shame mogs aren't in the arena for the Games; I wouldn't have a problem killing them after this.

"You might not get picked," I reassure her gently. "There are enough tributes here that you might be safe" I soothe her. She nods, but we know it's both hopeless. We thought we were safe and we weren't. The mogs have shown us that no one is safe.

_Victors, please line up at your designated pod,_ I shiver at the cold familiarity of the tinny voice. I stand up, gently wiping Ella's face so that the tears are not obvious; if she's chosen, she needs to look strong, but I hope that it will never happen.

I can hear the cheering of the crowd already; it seems they're delighted with this twist. For them, this is the height of entertainment. Some of the Victors here are considered celebrities, because of the reruns that are played in the run up to Games, and because these survivors are often dragged out for public shows. For the mogs, it will be exciting to see them fight others to the death. Even better, none of the mogs are at risk. I feel sick again but this time I cannot throw up. This time, I have to face my fate.

I make it to my pod, Adelina by my side. Crayton gently leads Ella away, but I can see the anger in his face. Ella doesn't make a noise as she's led to her pod, but I can only imagine what she's feeling. A few other Victors, one I haven't met before, are also standing by my pod but I cannot be bothered to greet them. I might have to kill one of them anyway.

"Don't show weakness" Adelina gently places her hands on my shoulder. "No matter what they do, don't show weakness. It's you against everyone now" she gently brushes my hair back. I nod, feeling too numb to even care. There's a chance I may not be picked, but it's highly unlikely.

"I'll see you later" I say softly, before stepping into the pod. She nods, wiping a few tears away from her cheeks, but I can't find it in me to smile in reassurance. I'm out of smiles.

The pods zip down the long promenade and I peer out of the window, watching the crowds cheer and clap in excitement, pointing at different pods. Some of the Victors in the pod peer out of the window like me, whilst the others stare stonily ahead, as if this is all a bad dream. Anger and hatred build up in me as I stare at the crowd of mogs; they're excited for the deaths of those who've earned the right to live. I can feel my fists clenching and an unfamiliar icy feeling swells inside me, almost overpowering my control. I take a few breaths to calm myself down. Now is not the time to get worked up and act out.

"Show time" one of the Victors says grimly as the pod glides to a stop in front of the temporary stage they erected for today; the podium where Setrakus usually talks is too small for the huge group today. I can see the huge Calling bowl in the centre of the stage, filled with the slips of paper with our names on. There aren't many Victors, only about 36, so most here will be chosen today. I just hope that Ella and Joseph are one of the six remaining.

I climb out of the pod, listening to the crowd roar with delight as we're led up to the stage, and put into rows. Setrakus is in front of us all in a smart black suit, standing near to the bowl, with a smile of triumph on his face. He did this on purpose; maybe he swapped the rules, or decided to make one up completely. Whatever it is, everything has worked out to his favour in the end. None of the Loric are going to rebel when the people who started it are dead. All traces of rebellion will end when we die. Just as Setrakus wanted.

_Neither of us wants war, Marina. Which is why I have no choice._

Ella stands nearby, shivering in the cold wind; the traditional black clothes that we wore for the Pairing Ceremony aren't warm enough against this cold wind. I wouldn't even be surprised if it snows. Seeing her shivering, reminds me just how young she is and how innocent she was before the Games. She looks so tiny compared to everyone else, and I want more than anything to throw myself in front of her and protect her from these monsters.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Calling of the 1st Anniversary Games and the 15th Funeral Games!" Setrakus begins, and the cheers are so loud that I can barely hear my own heart beating in my chest. The cheers go on and on and Setrakus has to hold his hand up to continue speaking.

"Today we shall choose 30 previous Loric Victors from the Funeral Games, to compete for the ultimate crown of champion! " he says and the audience bursts into applause again. I swallow, trying to unclench my fists at my sides, but my anger and fear makes it impossible.

"As it is an Anniversary Game, the rules are different" Setrakus says, his words similar to those yesterday. "The Anniversary Games are distinguished by the use of only Loric tributes, with Mogadorian Tributes exempt from the Games. The 30 Loric tributes are to fight to the death amongst themselves in an arena until only one lone Victor remains. The rules are: kill or be killed" he explains, as if we could have forgotten those fateful words. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves but it's so hard.

"The rules for the Calling are such: if your name is selected, you are a tribute of the Games" Setrakus continues. "You may volunteer for any other Tribute, if you so desire the honour" he adds. I try not to pull a scathing face but it's hard; like anyone with a right mind would volunteer for the Games.

"And now, let us begin!" he says and the crowd erupts at once, cheers and claps as he approaches the bowl. I barely have a chance to wish that it's not me, that it's not Ella, or Joseph, when he pulls out a slip of paper. My heart practically stops as he unfolds it.

"Sophia Arnaud!" he calls. I sag in relief, but feelings of sympathy immediately wash over me as I watch the short girl walk forwards, a scowl on her face. She stands at the end of the stage, where the chosen Tributes are supposed to go. Setrakus approaches the bowl again.

"Callum Shaw" the great hulking guy I saw earlier steps forwards, a grin on his face. I stare at him in confusion at his delight, as he takes his place next to Sophia, towering over her. I swallow nervously, clenching my fists at my sides. The crowd is hushed, watching every move, not wanting to miss a second. I wonder if anyone's bet on this Calling.

"Maren Elizabeth Everdeen!" Tears fill my eyes as my friend steps forwards to take her place. I bite my lip, knowing that out of anyone here she has a chance, but I don't want to see her go into that arena. I don't any of my friends to go into the arena.

"Marcus White!" Setrakus announces. The boy steps forwards, his face pale and his eyes darting around, as if to escape. But there is no escape from this.

More and more tributes begin to line up, most I don't know: Levi, Liana, Darryl, Lucia…but there are some that I _do_ know. My heart breaks as Joseph is called up, and it takes every bit of strength in me not to cry in front of the audience. I can't lose him, I really can't. His face is filled with fear but determination too, and seeing his strength both inspires and shames me for my own weakness. I can't lose him: he's both my best friend and a chance for a future that can now never exist. But I have no choice.

John and Sarah are called, one after another, and again it hurts to see them broken by this new development. The mogs are delighted by this turn of events though; two lovers having to fight one another. They love romance, but they love death more. Stanley is also called up, but I can tell that he's happy, in a sick and twisted way. He wants revenge for what they're doing to us.

There aren't many spaces left now, just three left. I can barely contain my hope at the thought of living, of not being chosen, but it's a twisted relief. I'm still mourning for my friends who've been selected, mostly Joseph. If anyone makes it, I hope it's him. Setrakus grabs another slip of paper and I barely have time to send a quick prayer, when he reads out the name.

"Ella Fitzgerald"

My world stops, like I've stopped breathing. I feel winded, as I practically gasp for breath, feeling like the world is moving too slowly to be real. Ella takes a shaky step forward, her fists clenched at her sides, her eyes darting around. Seeing that, seeing her tiny but determined steps forwards gets me moving and I move in front of her, sweeping her behind my back with one arm as if I can protect her from the world. The words tumble out of my mouth before I can even think them through.

"I volunteer!" I gasp. "I volunteer as tribute!"

There's a long silence, as if people can't really believe what just happened. I feel numb, and as if this is all a sick nightmare that I can't wake from. I hear a murmur as a few mogs talk by the side of the stage, and then Setrakus Ra nods, a weird look on his face. He looks both pleased and disappointed at the same time as he gestures me to head towards the tributes' area. His jaw is clenched and he looks angry, underneath his calm appearance, but I can tell he's annoyed.

The audience breaks the silence and slowly starts to clap, calling my name, as if I've done something brave. I'm barely aware of being led forwards to the tributes area, Ella calling my name. I look at her and I can tell she's desperately trying to fight back tears. But there's nothing she can do; I volunteered for her, and she cannot volunteer herself or be called. She's as safe as can be now; her name slip will be discarded.

I feel a horrible lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes as I stand with the other tributes. Stanley catches my eye and smiles, a grateful smile. He loves Ella just as much as I do, and if something happened to her, both of us wouldn't live with ourselves. I try to smile back but it breaks apart and I look down at the ground, trying to swallow around the huge lump in my throat. I release a tiny, choked sound and then fall silent, taking a shuddering breath.

Setrakus calls the last two names and they join us, wincing as the crowd cheers and claps in delight. I notice that Cody was one of the ones not chosen, as well as Sam. Well, Cody works with them so I'm not surprised, and Sam was never revolutionary in the Games or in the Tour. It makes sense to let him live. If they called everyone from my Games, then it would look odd.

"Your tributes for the 15th Annual Funeral Games and the 1st Anniversary Games!" Setrakus announces. As he stands in front of the stage, a triumphant smile on his face, I get that cold icy feeling again and I want more than ever to lunge forwards and kill him, in front of his people to show just how powerful he really is. My anger shocks me and I slowly calm down, fighting the burning hot tears in my eyes.

"Happy Anniversary Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour,"

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**Hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will be much longer, i promise. The last two chapters were only shorter because of the events and impact.**

**Please review!**


	18. Chapter 17 - A Waking Nightmare

**Disclaimer: I don't own LL or HG.**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love them all so much and I really appreciate them so much! **

**Exams are over! So I get to catch up on all the writing that I'm seriously behind on now so that's going to be my task for the next few weeks haha :D**

**Shout-outs – **

\- ** . **: Thanks for the huge and lovely review! It was lovely and I enjoyed reading every word! I really appreciate the length and what you say about the chapter, so thank you!

\- **Leaning Leon **– Thank you for the review, I hope this chapter is enjoyable!

\- **Loricwarrior9 – **Thank you for the review! Hope you enjoy the Sophia and Stanley moments!

\- **Xxstarsnowxx **– Thank you, I hope you enjoy the next chapters!

\- **TheThoughtsofKarasu **– Thank you for the long review! Also, you might have guessed one of the ideas of this story correctly…how do you do that? :D

\- **Martanakin **– Sorry for the cliffhanger! :D Thank you for the review!

**Please read on and I hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter 17 – A Waking Nightmare

**John**

I stare up at the pristine white ceiling, the brightness of the colour making stars dance in front of my eyes. I turn my head on the plump pillow, wincing at the dull ache in my head, and I watch as the sun begins to light up the sleeping city outside my window. The Capital looks calm in the early morning sun; no one is moving yet, there were huge parties after the excitement of yesterday's ceremony and they went on until early in the morning.

I sigh and run my hands over the soft silken sheets in my bed, wishing that I could bury my head into the pillow and forget that a world outside this room existed. I notice that the material is still slightly damp from my tears last night and I rub my face, wincing at the slightly raw skin around my eyes. Crying yourself to sleep makes you feel awful in the morning.

I feel sick as I think about the Calling yesterday. I had known of course that something awful would happen in the Anniversary Games to stop all thoughts of fighting amongst the Loric, but it had never crossed my mind that they would send us back in the arena. The thought of the arena, of only _one_ survivor sends a pang of pain in my stomach and I swing my legs over the side of the bed, barely managing to avoid the silk sheets as I vomit weakly on the floor. The bile burns against my throat as my body dry heaves, trying to rid myself of the sick feeling. I sit there for a while, my heart beating strongly in my chest, as my body returns to normal.

I close my eyes as I lean back weakly on the bed, too weak to really care about the strong smell in the room. I feel sweaty and shaky and I shiver slightly, pulling the covers up around me. I don't want to go back into the arena, don't want to face those who were once my allies, but will now be my enemies. I'll have to see Sarah as an adversary, Maren as an enemy, and Stanley as an obstacle. Oh god…I can't do it, I really can't.

"John?" there's a light knock on my door. "Can I come in?" Henri doesn't wait for an answer; he pushes the door open anyway, wincing a little when he sees the vomit on the floor and me lying on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asks. I grimace, sitting up, and putting my head in my hands. "Bad question," Henri chuckles nervously, as he settles down on the foot of my bed.

We haven't really talked since before the announcement of the Games. That evening I locked myself in my room, my anger taking over as I trashed my room and everything in it. Then yesterday, after the Calling, I'd hidden in my newly cleaned room, going to sleep instead of facing the world. I didn't want to see the pity in Henri's eyes, don't want to see the sympathy as he trains me for a Games that I cannot possibly win.

But I have to face the music at some point.

"I knew…I knew they'd make us pay for what we'd done" I whisper, my voice sounding raw. "I just…I never imagined that it would be in this way"

Henri tightens his jaw, and I notice then that he looks pretty awful. He hasn't shaved, and his eyes have a haunted look in them. His face is lined with weariness and anger and fear, and for the first time since I've met him, he looks weak. He doesn't look prepared for this.

"Well, you're part of the Games whether you like it or not" his voice doesn't sound harsh, just weary. "No crying, whining or depression will change that. And like all Anniversary Games are supposed to be, the format is different so just Loric are taking part" his voice turns all business-like, but I can tell that it's taking a lot of effort for him to act so calm.

Yet this is territory he knows how to handle: strategies for dealing with the Games. Emotions and fear and uncertainty are things he hates handling. I straighten up, pushing my fear to the side. For now, I need to have a clear head and listen to what he has to say. Panicking can wait until later; it's not helpful when I need to concentrate. If there was one thing I learnt from my Games, it was that panicking was never productive.

"Ok, so what do I need to do?" I ask. Henri smiles weakly, but I see the pride in his eyes at my new resolution.

"Things are different this time round" Henri stands up, heading over to the chest of drawers. He grabs a random shirt and drops it on the ground, over my vomit so we can't see it. I flush in embarrassment, but Henri doesn't seem bothered at all. I guess we've both got bigger things to worry about.

"First things first, we'll be heading back to the Tribute village today" Henri sits down on the bed, his face serious. "We'll be training there for the next six months, until the Games" I nod, trying to control my fear. "You need to be in the best physical condition of your life. This is you against 29 other people now, and there's only one winner"

I swallow. "But some of them are my friends," I whisper weakly. God…Sarah…How can I fight her when I love her so much? How can I kill her?

"You need to cut all ties with them John" Henri chews on his lip, looking torn. "Feelings won't help you win the Anniversary Games. Only one person will win, John, and this year, you can bet there won't be any rules changes. And…I know this will be hard…" he takes a deep breath. "You need to end things with Sarah. Your relationship will only be a hindrance now, instead of getting you sponsors. And we have to eliminate anything that could damage your chance at survival"

I knew of course that this was coming. I don't even feel that shocked, because I knew that deep down, Sarah and I were never going to be able to be together after this. How can we, when we're considered adversaries by the Gamemakers and the public? I don't even feel that sick, but there's a dull pain in my chest that refuses to go away. Maybe it will never go away.

"I know" I whisper. If Henri is surprised or pleased, he doesn't show it. "I'll…I'll talk to her later" I look down at my hands, wishing that I hadn't been such an idiot on the Tour. Then I could still be with Sarah, and the others would be safe. This is all my fault. This is payback, for everything that I did.

"I'm sorry John" Henri's voice is quiet. "This is wrong…and I know nothing I say will make you feel better now" he reaches out for my hand and then hesitates, as if he feels he can't reach me anymore. I feel distant, as if I've been blocked out from everything. This can't be happening…this must be some sick joke, and the Gamemakers will announce the _real_ Anniversary Games tomorrow.

But I know deep down, that I'm just being stupid.

"How am I going to kill these people Henri?" I can't stop the tears flooding my eyes, the hopelessness I'm feeling flood through me. "How can I kill my friends?"

Henri just shakes his head, his own face filled with uncertainty. He doesn't need to reply because we both know the truth: I _can't_.

Xxx

Sarah stands shaking in my arms, her head resting on my shoulder. I hear her crying softly, her wet cheeks pressed against my neck. I stroke her hair, trying to fight back my own tears. I clutch her closer to me, my arms so tight around hers that it might even be painful, but she says nothing. It would be so easy to not end things, to press my lips against hers and pretend the world didn't exist. It would be so easy.

"I love you," I whisper, my voice breaking. "I love you so much" I kiss her hair, shutting my eyes. She pulls back, wiping her cheeks softly. My early cold detached feeling has gone, and I wish more than anything that it would return. All I feel now is pain; pain at the thought of losing Sarah, fear at the thought of dying, anger at the mogs for doing this to us.

"I love you too" she tries to smile, but it falls apart. She must know why I'm here, she must. Her hands are clasped tightly in mine, but I can see her trying to distance herself from me. She's pulled back more, and I feel empty, lost without her.

"You know why I'm here" I whisper. She nods, and another tear slips down her cheek. I reach out and wipe it away, my hand lingering on her cheek. I can feel my chest aching with pain, and I feel scared, nerves creeping through my veins. Once I do this, I can't undo it. There'll be no going back.

"We can't be together anymore," she whispers. "Because of the Games…because if we're together, then we're more likely to be killed…or we'll have to kill each other"

"Yes" I nod, swallowing tightly. There's a huge lump in my throat that refuses to go. "I'm sorry" I don't know what else to say, it all sounds so hollow and weak. The truth is, I'd do anything to still be with Sarah, but I know that Henri is right. There's no way that we'll both win now; they changed the rules last year, but they won't do it this year.

"Don't be" she tries to smile, but it breaks. There are tears in her eyes and I want more than anything to pull her into my arms once more. "It's not your fault John…it's not any of our faults"

I shake my head, filled with self-loathing. "If I'd kept my mouth shut, then none of this would have happened. Everyone on the planet would all be safe, and none of this would be going on. I should have just kept my mouth shut," I say angrily. Sarah shakes her head, her eyes flashing.

"Safe from what? The mogs" she looks around, to make sure no one is listening. "What you did was good and brave and strong. The Loric are going to know that the mogs set up these Games because they're scared…and they'll never stop fighting now" she reaches for my hand. "Don't hate yourself for what you did. We all supported it, we were all behind you" she smiles, but her eyes are broken. I have to go before my resolve, and hers, breaks.

"Good luck in training" I whisper softly. She nods, her eyes filling with tears again. This is it…this is goodbye until the Games.

I can't help it; I reach out and pull her into my arms, and she wraps her own around me tightly, sobbing once. I bury my head in her hair, trying to suppress my sobs, but I think she can tell. I don't want to go, I really don't want to…but I have to.

I pull back, cupping her chin in my hand and press my lips to hers in a short, desperate kiss. I can feel our love, our fear and anger pouring out in that short, brief kiss. But it ends too soon and Sarah pulls back, tears slipping down her cheeks. I feel as thought someone has just punched me in the stomach, leaving me gasping and winded.

"See you in the arena John" she says shortly, before turning and walking unsteadily back to her room. I watch her press a hand to her mouth, as if to stop her sobs, and her shoulders begin to shake. Tears slip down my own cheeks and I lean against the wall, sliding down so that I'm sitting on the floor. I put my head in my hands, feeling like a part of me has just been ripped out and I'll never get it back. I begin to sob, and I wrap my arms around my knees, my body shaking with pain and fear.

I've lost the only thing that ever really mattered to me. And there's no way to get her back.

Xxx

**Adam**

I sit in the waiting room, my nerves making it hard to concentrate. I watch the other mogs in here, all as nervous as me. There are about 20 of them, already a smaller number than before. It seems that not everyone passed the first test for the Gamemaker position. I'm not even sure what I scored for the test, but I know that it was enough to get me through to the second test.

Next to me, Hannah simmers in anger, her face screwed up in fury. She's still furious about the twist for the Anniversary Games, despite it being at least it being a day since the announcement and then the Calling. I admit, I'm not at all happy with the twist; how am I supposed to save any Loric tributes when only one can win? It seems that our plan to help Loric has spectacularly backfired and Hannah and I will be partly responsible for the deaths in the Anniversary Games, if we get the position of course.

But I know it's more than that that's making her unhappy. Hannah's friends are fighting in the Games as well. Well, maybe not friends, but she knew the tributes well enough. In Round 3, a few of them tried desperately to save her life before Ivan killed her. And she spent enough time with them to feel fond and slightly protective over some of them. She doesn't want to see them back in the arena, fighting for their lives once more.

_I didn't know,_ I say for the millionth time, _I had no idea that the mogs were planning this. _

Hannah doesn't reply.

_If you look on the bright side the mogs had to do this because the Loric were causing trouble. It has to be a good sign that the mogs felt this was necessary, _I try again. Hannah shoots me a poisonous look and I decide to stay silent. She's angry with me too, despite my lack of knowledge about what's happening. She blames me for everything, and I can understand why. It's my fault she's dead, after all.

A name is called, and another applicant heads towards the small testing room. I begin to get nervous again, unsure of what's going to happen this time. A few applicants have been called up already, but they haven't returned to our waiting room. It's probably so they can't give us any hints, but it still makes me feel even worse. Each test lasts about five minutes from what I've seen, but a lot can happen in five minutes. You can fail a test in five minutes. I don't even know whether I want to pass or fail; on one hand, it would be easier for me if I failed because then I wouldn't be responsible for the deaths in the next Games. Yet, I _want_ pass, to get a sense of achievement.

Everything is so screwed up.

_Will you help me?_ I ask Hannah. She doesn't reply and I can sense her uncertainty. She just stares straight ahead, and I look down at my hands, feeling rejected. It's stupid and selfish, but I can't help it.

"Adamus Sutekh" my name is called and I stand up, butterflies flooding my stomach. I try to remain calm as I head to the door but inside I'm terrified. I don't want to fail, but I do at the same time. It would be so easy just to bow out of this process right now, like some others have, but then I know my father would never forgive me.

_You're on your own this time, mog boy, _Hannah calls from behind me, not moving from her seat. I can sense her withdrawing from me, until she disappears from sight, but I can still feel her simmering anger. She'll never leave me completely, no matter how much she tries.

_Fine, _I snap. _It's not like this was your decision in the first place, _I say sarcastically. She doesn't reply, but I know that it hurt her. I'm too keyed up and nervous to even care that much.

I head into the small room, wincing as it slams behind me. The room is small, and barely furnished, with just a table and two chairs. The only thing on the table is a large metal cup, kind of like a goblet. There are two doors behind the table, both identical without any sign saying where they lead. I frown a little, and then focus on the person at the table, my stomach dropping when I see who it is.

My father smirks at me, and I can see the cold pleasure in his eyes at sensing my fear. I take a few shaky steps forwards, drawing the chair backwards. It makes a loud scraping noise and I try so hard not to wince, to make any sign of weakness in front of my father. He simply watches me, impossibly tall and unbearably intimidating in his crisp General's uniform.

"I didn't realise that you would be holding this test, Sir," I say respectively, trying so hard to keep the fear out of my voice. My father snorts, crossing his arms as he watches me closely. I can feel Hannah's curiosity, and her support, despite her earlier anger with me. Even she wouldn't wish this on me.

"Gamemakers play an integral role in the Games, which in turn, help to reinstall fear into the Loric. Their jobs are important" my father replies smoothly. "Therefore the application process is of great interest to our Beloved Leader. He does not want anyone _untrustworthy_ in the role" my father's eyes seem to burn into my soul and it takes all my strength not to lower my head in shame.

"No, that wouldn't be good" I agree, my voice barely stammering. My father nods, a spark of surprise in his eyes. Maybe he expected me to crack or panic under the pressure.

"Well, your time is running out, Adamus" he says, gesturing to the cup in front of him. "Let us begin your test. You must drink from this until it is empty. If you stop, you fail the test"

I glance at him in confusion, and then at the cup. They want me to _drink_ something? Is that the test? It seems too easy, but my father stares calmly at me, waiting expectantly. It can't be easy; the mogs would never make the second test so simple and easy to pass. I reach out and take the goblet into my hands, frowning in puzzlement when I see the clear blue liquid. I take a deep breath, and then lift it to my lips.

"Good luck" my father says, sounding as if he doesn't mean it. I take a sip and then the world around me dissolves.

I'm barely aware of my real body drinking the blue liquid, which tastes slightly of mint, because in my mind everything has changed. I'm standing in a forest, identical to the one that was used in the Games. It's hot, and my tributes' clothes are damp with sweat_._ I'm holding a spear in my hand, and there's a rucksack slung along my back. I look around in confusion, wondering what the hell is going on, when I hear a scream.

I begin to run at once, recognising the scream of the girl that Ivan killed so long ago in Round 1. The little red-haired girl, whose name I never remembered, despite Hannah's disgust. I race through trees, my heart hammering in my chest, my palms sweating and losing their grip on the spear. I hear shouting, and laughing, and I burst into the clearing, stopping dead at the sight in front of me.

Ivan stands over the small, red-haired girl, as she cowers away on the forest floor. Her hair is tangled with leaves, and her face is smeared with dirt, tear tracks streaking through the grime. She looks at me, her mouth opened in a silent scream, and she reaches out for me, as if I can help her. I want to run ahead, run and stop Ivan, but I can't make my legs move.

"Don't kill her," I gasp out, every word sending a stab of pain through me. Ivan grins, stepping forwards, that huge sword of his raised to kill her. The girl cowers away, sobbing like she did in Round 1, her fingers clawing at the ground. I feel sick, but I can't move, no matter how much I want to.

"If you want to save her, say stop" Ivan laughs. He raises the sword, and I try to move, try to throw my spear at Ivan. _Say stop. _I can stop this and save her life…but this isn't real. This is just a dream and has already happened. Anything I do will not make any impact at all. Maybe the test is facing the things that I regret the most, that hurt the most. Maybe the challenge is to face it all without stopping.

Ivan brings the sword down.

The scene changes, and then I'm in the sandy arena of Round 3. Hannah is nearby, alive and not ghost-like as I'm used to seeing her. Seeing her look so alive, so healthy, sends stabs of pain through me, and I try to get to my feet, to throw myself in front of her to protect her. I can't see any other tributes from Round 3, and the arena is as silent and empty as a graveyard.

There's nearby movement and then my father appears, clutching a huge sword, grinning as he saunters over to Hannah. I try to crawl over, to get up to protect her, but I can't move. Hannah makes a move to jump up and run, or to fight back, I'm just not sure, but her leg looks broken and she falls to the ground with a cry of pain. She looks up at my father, terror and pain on her face as he raises the sword over her.

"No!" I scream, crawling to my father and Hannah. Every bit of movement feels like a knife in my body. "Don't kill her! Please!"

My father turns to me, the sword still raised. "If you want to save her, say stop," he laughs. I shake my head, stifling the sobs of pain, as I desperately try to move to Hannah. I can't say stop. I can't. Hannah's eyes lock on mine, the fear in them agonising and then my father's sword hits her. I shut my eyes, sobbing when I hear her scream of pain and then a cannon.

The scene changes once more, and I'm on a Mogadorian ship, flying in the air above Lorien. Or, I _think_ it's Lorien. I can just see fire and ash and destroyed cities, bombs going off and flashes of drones hitting towns and villages. I hear screaming and shouting and the dying screams of pikens and chimaeras. I run to the window, horrified, as I stare at the fighting going on below me. This is war; this could be the future of Lorien if things continue as they are.

"We've got to stop killing them!" I beg, as a nearby mog General rushes by, his face set into a mask of severity. He just ignores me and I turn back to the window, tears filling my eyes as I watch the destruction of a once-beautiful planet. "We've got to end this!"

"If you want to end this, say stop" I turn, my knees feeling weak, as I see the Mogadorian Leader standing nearby, a grin on his face. Waves of dizziness wash over me, and I feel sick, so sick. I could just say stop, end this pain, end this fear. End this nightmare that could come true.

_Don't do it…don't end it now, _Hannah joins me, like a light at the end of a tunnel. I can't see her, but I can feel her strength, her determination to beat this task and my nightmares.

"No" I begin to rise, feeling more powerful with her beside me. "I will_ never, ever_ give in. I _will_ do this,"

The dream ends, and then suddenly, I'm back in the real world, sitting in the chair in the bare room. I'm gasping for breath, sweat damp on my forehead. My grip is so tight that my knuckles have turned white, and I feel drained, like I've been training with Ivan for hours on end. My father watches me closely, an emotionless look on his face.

"You didn't stop," he finally says, not sounding angry, or pleased. I nod, shakily placing the cup down on the table. I still feel sick, both emotionally and physically.

"What the hell was that?" I can't even be bothered to regulate my language. I still feel hurt and in pain after watching Lorien destroyed, Hannah killed. I can feel Hannah trying to soothe me, but I just push her away; having her in my mind reminds me of what happened to her.

"It was a special dream serum developed to make someone hallucinate about their worst nightmares. I have no idea what you have witnessed, but whatever it was, it would have been the things you dread the most. Wonderful torture technique" my father replies, a sick smile on his face. I want to throw up, to curse and shout at him for being a sick bastard, but I just nod.

"You are done now," he adds, gesturing for me to leave. I stand up, heading to the two doors at the back of the room, desperate to leave my father's toxic presence and lie in my bed, wishing that today had never happened. I pause by the two doors, and then decide to go out of the left one.

"Not that one" my father says as I reach for the doorknob. "The left door is for those who have failed the test. You go out the right door. That door is for those who have passed"

Xxx

**Maren**

_I walk on the balls of my feet, barely making a noise despite the brittle leaves under my feet. The air is pungent with the smell of dying things, and I can see mouldy apples near the base of their tree; it seems that winter is definitely coming. I creep along, the bow and arrow ready in my hands. My backpack is already filled with greens and fish, but I can't help but want to catch something to trade for a present for Lilia. I love surprising her._

_I feel alive in the woods, the cool wind rejuvenating and refreshing. I can hear squirrels collecting nuts for winter, and wild turkeys clucking nearby, apparently worried by my presence. But I'm tracking something bigger tonight. The fresh prints of the deer indicate that it stopped for water just half an hour ago. It won't have gone far. I smile at the thrill of the chase, my body tensed and ready to run and shoot at the slightest movement._

_I hear the snap of a twig, and I turn at once, bow and arrow at the ready. But the sight I see shocks me. It's my father, dressed in the clothes he would always wear when he went hunting: jacket, trousers and those thick leather boots of his. There's a grin on his face, that carefree smile that only the woods could bring out of him. He approaches me, and I take a step back. He's dead, killed at work, after an explosion in the explosives room. He can't be here…this can't be real._

_"__It won't be long now Maren" he smiles, reaching out for me. "Soon, you and I will be together again" he holds his arms out for a hug. I shake my head, taking a step back. His face registers hurt at my rejection._

_"__This isn't real…you're dead" I whisper, feeling weak. "You died in a factory explosion" He shakes his head, stepping forwards again. He looks so alive, so at home in the woods, which were once so reassuring but now are terrifying and alien._

_"__Not everything that dies, stays dead" he replies. I frown, backing away, and then he begins to change, growing taller and crueller until Setrakus Ra stands in front of me. I grab my bow and arrow, aiming for his heart but he simply laughs, stepping forwards till he towers over me._

_"__But, Miss Everdeen" he smiles. "You know that won't kill me. You know that _you_ cannot kill me"_

I wake up.

I'm gasping and sitting upright, clutching at the sheets on my bed. I look around the room frantically, expecting Setrakus Ra to be there, but my room is empty. It's still dark outside, but I can tell that it won't be long from dawn. I take a deep breath, reaching for the glass of water by my bed. I try to shake the dream from my mind but I can't…_Not everything that dies, stays dead._ I shiver, wrapping my arms around me. What was that dream even about?

"Maren?" I look up as Kat hovers by the doorway. "You were screaming…is everything all right?" she asks. I nod, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, trying to hide my fear.

"I'm fine" I reply, my voice harsh. "I'm going to take a shower"

I push open the door before she can reply, locking it behind me. I feel shaky and weak, as I strip quickly, longing for a warm shower to wake me up. I press a few random buttons on the pad by the shower, hopping in and jumping from foot to foot as cold and hot water alternates. Then a thick soap is dumped on my body and I have to scrape it off with a bristly brush, but at least it wakes me up and gets my blood flowing. It also clears my mind as much as it could be for the time being.

I sit down on the bedside table, brushing out my wet hair. My hair has grown out to my shoulders now, and I can soon tie it back up into a ponytail. Good. In the Games, I'll need to keep my hair away from my face. It will distract me and make it harder to kill the other Tributes, as well as making hunting more difficult. I set the brush down, looking at my hands with their callouses and scars. More will come in the next few months of training and preparing.

I just feel numb thinking about the Games. I knew Setrakus was going to kill us, but I never imagined that he would make us do it to each other. I guess that's the ultimate revenge though. Not only do we die, but we're killed by our friends; the maximum pain and betrayal that a person could possibly feel. And it would suppress all hopes of a revolution if all but one Victor is dead. Setrakus is cruel but he's smart. If it weren't so awful, his strategy would almost impress me.

One Victor. 29 dead. I am determined not to be one of the 29. I think of Lilia, of Catia and of my mother. If I win the Games, then I can guarantee their survival. They will be kept alive to watch the Games, I'm sure of that. That's probably the only reason they weren't killed when I didn't do my task: they'll watch me die and then the mogs will probably drag them out on TV and interview them, to stop any other Loric doing the same as me and my fellow Victors.

Or should I say Tributes. We're tributes once more.

I don't want to kill any of the others. A pang of pain flashes through me as I think of killing Marina, who couldn't bear to see Ella die, so volunteered for her instead. I don't want to kill Stanley or Sarah, despite how much they can both annoy me. And I especially don't want to kill John, who has been the only one there for me when I thought my family were as good as dead. Yet if the only way I survive is through their deaths, then do I have a choice?

And it scares me how I'm starting to see them as enemies. Marina, who's bravery and compassion are her strengths, yet is not the greatest hand to hand fighter. It disgusts me that I know that if I were to engage her in a hand-to-hand fighter, she'd be dead. I'm scared at my knowledge that John's intelligence is his strength, but Sarah undoubtedly his weakness. Already, I'm thinking of ways to kill them and that scares me.

At least Sam wasn't chosen. Despite everything, despite our fight, I'm still glad that he wasn't chosen. But he'll be suffering so much, seeing all of us die when there's nothing he can do. I should talk to him before I go back to the Tributes village today, I should make things right. I stand up, changing quickly, and rushing out of my room before my nerves at seeing him stops me from doing what's right. I need to see him before I go, need to fix things, and after everything we've been through, it's only right. I run past Katarina, barely explaining to her what's going on, before I head out of the room.

I make it to his room within minutes, panic racing through me at the thought of being dragged away before I get to talk to him. I knock on his door, shifting from foot to foot. I feel nervous, unsure of how Sam will react. Will he still be angry with me, or will he just be as upset as I am? I barely have time to really think things through when the door opens and Sam stands in front of me.

"Maren?" he frowns. Seeing him standing there in his normal nerdy shirt, his glasses perched precariously on his nose…it kills me. I make a sobbing noise and then I throw myself at him in a hug, knocking him slightly off balance.

"Oops, sorry" I sniff and sob at the same time, wrapping my arms tightly around him. He laughs, patting my back, but he sounds like he's trying hard to be cheerful when he's hurting.

"I had to see you before I go" I whisper, burying my head in his neck. I've missed my friend, missed him so much. If there's one thing to live for, it's Sam. "I had to apologise for everything"

"There's nothing to apologise for" Sam reassures me, rubbing my back. "I understand your anger, your instability…you were under a lot of pressure," he says gently as I pull back from the hug. His face is filled with pity, and usually it would annoy me, but I can't find it in me to react.

"I'm so glad you weren't chosen" I set his glasses straight on his nose, from where they were knocked slightly when I hugged him. "I'm so glad that you're safe" he winces, looking down at the ground, and I know he wishes more than anything that he could be in there, with me, like Round 1. Back when everything was so simple.

"Promise me that you'll fight to live" he takes my hands in his, his face filled with determination. "Promise me that you'll do whatever it takes to win the Games" I nod, but doubt creeps through me.

"I don't stand a chance. Sure, I want to win. But some of theses tributes have been training for years out of boredom. They have years of strength and technique over me" I whisper. Sam shakes his head, his eyes blazing.

"But they don't have your determination…that's what made you live after your father died" Hearing mention of my father after my weird dream earlier makes me wince. "You're a survivor, Maren. If anyone can win, it's you" he says earnestly.

I nod, but I'm still filled with fear. Yet I can't show him this. He's got enough to deal with; I don't need to make him feel worse. I wrap my arms around him again, wishing that I could stay here, and protect my family. What will happen to them now? What will happen to the Victors that are left behind here?

"Stay safe Sam" I whisper, pulling back. I need to go soon; the ship is coming to collect us in an hour. "I'll see you soon" I promise. He nods, and his face scrunches up as he tries to hide his fear and pain.

"Train hard" he replies, kissing my forehead softly. We both blush, but I don't say anything.

Because deep down Sam must know that I'm a dead girl. That the Gamemakers will never let me and the others live simply because of what we stand for. The Games were made specifically for us and for a reason: to stop every chance of rebellion ever happening.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter will have Navrina! **

**Please review! **


	19. Chapter 18 - Competitors

**Disclaimer - I don't own LL or HG.**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I love them all so much and am constantly flattered by all of the lovely reviews! A huge thank you!**

**Answers to reviews:**

\- **I am definitely planning on doing a third instalment because I'm not even halfway through the whole story yet, so there definitely will be a third story. **

\- **There will be some John/Maren in a few chapters time, although it will be a bit quiet for the moment since they all have to train individually. However, there will definitely be a lot later on.**

**So thank you all once more and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 18 – Competitors

**Marina**

I never thought I'd experience the day when I'm sad to leave the Training Centre. To miss its comforting hallways which have been my home for the last six months. Yet as I walk down the familiar corridors to Joseph's room, I can't help but feel devastated at having to leave this all behind. To head to the training village where I trained for Round 1 so long ago. I can't believe I thought things were hard back then. At least there was more than one survivor in those Games.

I turn the corner and find myself pausing as I reach the corridor where Joseph's room is. I shouldn't really be here: both because of rules and my feelings. Tributes aren't really allowed to socialise with other tributes normally, even though we always did, but it's different now that we'll be forced to kill each other in six months. Adelina told me never to speak to my old friends again; I need to be distant from them all otherwise there'll be no hope for my survival.

Yet I can't _not_ say goodbye to Joseph. He means so much to me, more than a friend ever could. Maybe, if things were different, we could have had a future together. Only now, when there is no hope for us, am I really aware of my true feelings for him and the depth of them scares me. I know Adelina is right; meeting him will only makes things worse…but I have to see him one last time before we're forced to kill each other. This is the last time I could see him as a friend instead of my rival. I take a deep breath, trying to control my feelings, and I approach his door.

"Marina! Marina, I need to talk to you!"

I turn at the voice, jumping at the sudden noise. I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings as I'd struggled with my decision. But the immediate panic starts to change, and anger begins to rear its ugly head when I see Cody. Maybe once we could have been friends, maybe once I could have forgiven him for everything. But not now. Not after everything that's happened. He knew what was going to happen and he let it go ahead anyway, without giving a damn about the rest of us. He just made sure he was all right.

"What?" my voice is cold, far colder than I could have imagined it to ever be. Cody winces but he approaches me all the same, holding his hands out as if I'm some kind of wild animal.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," he says weakly. "I'm sorry about Ella being chosen. That wasn't the plan" he shrugs weakly.

"What do you mean?" I narrow my eyes, taking a step closer. Cody watches me carefully, but doesn't seem too concerned. After all, I'm not like him. I don't turn on my own race.

"My name, as well as yours and Ella's weren't meant to be put in the bowl. Our Beloved Leader wanted us exempt from the Calling" he explains, his face flushing weakly. "There was some stupid mistake with Ella's name and the slip went in there…I'm sorry"

My mind races as I think over his words. Why would Ella and I be safe? Because we'd followed the scripts? We hadn't wanted to but we were more scared than the others…maybe Setrakus thinks he can control us to his advantage. I remember what he said about Ella being more powerful than people realise, and doubt creeps through me. Does he want her to be like Cody and work for him too?

"Don't worry, the mog will be punished" Cody rushes on. "I can't believe it happened, but the mog will face the consequences of his-"

"You think I care!" I can't help but yell. "You think I seriously give a damn about the mog who made a mistake being punished?!" Cody winces, taking a step back in uncertainty. I glower at him, my hands curling into fists. I feel that strange icy feeling again but I fight to control it. Now is not the time for my legacies to play up.

"I don't care if the mog is punished! I don't care if there was a mistake!" I yell. "Ella's name _was_ still in the bowl and I had to volunteer for her. Nothing you say will make it any better! Nothing will change what happened!" I run a hand through my hair, agitated and furious. Cody watches me carefully, one of his hands in his pockets. I don't even care about his feelings anymore; I just feel disgust when I see him.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I just…you're my friend Marina. I wanted you and I to still be friends" his whispers, his face filled with pain and hurt. Maybe once that would have changed me, would have made me feel sorry for him. But after everything I've been through, and knowing everything I will have to do to survive, I can't stand him right now.

"Well we're not," I hiss. "I have to kill _my _friends because of _your_ friends! You chose your side Cody, and it was the wrong one!" I shake my head in anger. "How can you choose them after everything they've done?!" I yell. "How can you be such a coward?! You're weak and-"

Cody's face suddenly fills with rage and then he's in front of me, shoving me against the wall. I gasp in shock, as he presses me against the wall, his arm digging into my neck. I try to break out of his grip but he's too strong, his arm pressing against my throat so I struggle to breathe. It strikes me then just how unstable he is and fear replaces my anger. I try to scrabble at his hands, but he grabs my hand and slams it to the wall. I wince at the flash of pain, my eyes widening when I see the look in his. He looks terrifying, unstable.

"The mogs saw my power and my potential! They know how good I'll be!" he hisses, his face close to mine. "Everyone else looked down on me, the fat kid who fell over on stage in front of Lorien" his face is twisted up in hatred. "Stanley thought he was better than me. Well now it's time to prove him wrong!" he snarls. I try to push him off me but he presses his arm against my throat more. I yelp a little in pain but he just doesn't seem to care.

"That's what this is about?" I gasp. "Stanley? This is about you feeling weaker than him? That's stupid!" I rasp. Cody makes a snarling noise, and his eyes practically turn black in his rage. I begin to panic, wondering if his anger towards Stanley will turn him on me.

"The mogs are my real friends. They saw me for what I was: a warrior. A leader. I'm powerful, more powerful than any of you" Cody takes a deep breath and suddenly steps back, his face smoothing over, as if his control has finally won over. "Real friends look out for one another. They looked out for me, that's why I'm not in the Games. You're just deluding yourself," he snorts.

His words hurt and I wince, rubbing my sore neck. My hand is shaking from fear and shock. Cody looks angry, but I can see the tiniest flicker of guilt in his eyes. I want to say something to hurt him as much as he hurt me, but I'm scared of his reaction. Cody isn't stable; after working for them for so long who knows what they've turned him into? Who knows what he'll do to me?

"You're wrong," I whisper. "At least I'm not a traitor" Cody laughs bitterly, his lips twisted up in a cruel smirk.

"You're nothing Marina," he snaps. "That's why you have to go into that arena and fight your friends. Let's see how virtuous you are when you kill another tribute. Let's see how good you are when you kill your precious Joseph," he says. I cringe, rubbing my neck and feeling tears form in my eyes. Cody seems to realise what a low blow that was because guilt flashes across his face, but he doesn't say anything. He's tensed, as if ready for a fight.

We're interrupted when a door opens nearby and then Joseph steps out of his room, looking dishevelled, as if we just woke him up. Knowing Joseph, it's probably true; even in the most stressful times he's able to get his sleep. It would amuse me if I weren't feeling so battered and hurt right now, especially after Cody's dig about my feelings. Joseph takes the scene in quickly, his eyes turning cold as he notices Cody's threatening posture.

"Everything all right?" he asks, stepping outside his room. It's a casual comment, but I can see the steely look in his eyes. Looks like I'm not the only one ready for a fight after recent events. Cody shrugs, stuffing his hands into his pockets, but his face is tense.

"Yep, we're good" he replies. Joseph narrows his eyes and I can see the steely look intensify.

"I wasn't asking you" he replies shortly. "Marina? Everything good?" I nod, trying desperately to fight the tears back. I feel so weak and pathetic after fighting with Cody. I thought he could change, realise the truth, but he's so brainwashed. It hurts to see him so indoctrinated by those who want to kill us.

"I'm fine," I whisper. Cody smirks at Joseph, but turns to go, as if keen to run away before things don't go his way. He shoots me a look, and I want to cry at that look of arrogance. He's changed so much. What have the mogs done to make him like this?

"Good luck in the Games" he smirks. "May the odds be _ever_ in your favour" I wince as he saunters off, chuckling to himself. Joseph scowls as he moves closer to me, his presence comforting me.

"He's a bastard" Joseph scowls. "He should have been called yesterday," he snaps. I laugh, but I still feel shaky after the confrontation with Cody.

"Yesterday should never have even happened in the first place," I reply, my voice shaking slightly. Seeing him now…after the Calling, it brings back all my pain and fear. Joseph looks at me, and I can see the strain on his face. This is affecting him as well; he's just better at hiding it than I thought.

"How are you holding up?" he asks. I raise an eyebrow sceptically and he grins in amusement despite everything. This is just another reason I love him so much.

"I'm guessing not so well" he says more seriously. I sigh, running a hand through my hair. My throat still aches but I don't want to draw attention to the pain by healing myself in front of him.

"I don't think anyone is handling this well" I reply. He nods, looking down at his feet. It feels awkward between the two of us; already, we're more distant because of the Games. We can't even be friends, we're competitors. And I hate it.

"What you did was really amazing. Volunteering for Ella. It was so brave" Joseph looks up, his face emotionless, like he's trying to hide all of his feelings. I'm doing the same, but inside, I feel in turmoil. This hurts so much…I don't want to have to say goodbye to him, let alone fight him in the arena. I thought I knew pain, but I didn't. I didn't have a clue. I'd read about heartbreak before but this is the first time I've really experienced it.

"Thanks. I couldn't let her die" I swallow nervously. Everything I wanted to say to him has disappeared; I don't know what to say, what to think.

"I know" Joseph smiles, but it's not genuine. "You're too good for these Games" he shakes his head with an angry laugh. "You're far better than the rest of us" I want to disagree with him at once, because he's wrong. As much as I hate to admit that Cody was right, I won't be that good when I'll be killing other tributes to survive.

"Look, Marina" Joseph runs a hand through his hair. "I know we're technically supposed to be competitors now and supposed to hate one another" his hand is shaking and his eyes display the same pain I'm feeling. "There's not really much I can say…just I'll never see you as another tribute. You're so special to me…more than I think you realise, and the Games won't change this, so I won't be another tribute just for them" Joseph scowls. "I'm not saying this right," he says in frustration.

"I think I know what you're saying," I say slowly, the words leaving my mouth before I can think them through properly. "I never see you as someone to kill for my survival" I say. "That would kill me" Joseph sucks in a shaky breath and I can see tears in his eyes, like he's finally lost the fight with his control.

"You're very important to me too," I whisper. "And if there was anything I could do to stop the Games from going ahead I would" Joseph nods, swallowing hard. "But obviously I can't…so, I think it's best it we try and avoid one another in the village and in the arena. To make it easier" I whisper, my voice raw. I feel numb, as if I'm watching him die right now instead of saying goodbye. This is so much harder and more painful than I ever imagined it being.

Joseph nods again, a tear rolling down his cheek. He tries to wipe it away, but his hand is shaking so badly. Seeing this from him, who is so normally strong, breaks me. I reach out and pull him in for a hug, and he breaks down into tears clutching me close to him, burying his face in my hair. I can feel his sobs wrack his shoulders as he finally breaks down. I bite my lip hard, trying to keep the tears in myself, but it's not easy. God, it's not easy at all, but I have to be strong for him. I rub his back, squeezing my eyes shut to stop the hot tears rolling down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry" Joseph pulls away after a while, looking slightly embarrassed but mostly broken. "Sorry, I'm not helping at all. I should…I'll go…make it easier…" he stumbles out, his mouth working as he wipes away the tears. I want to comfort him, to make him feel better, but what can I do? In six months we'll be put in an arena to fight one another to the death. I have to separate myself from him.

"I'll see you around" I whisper. He nods, looking like he wants to see something else, but he shakes his head. He turns to go, looking so desolate and young and in pain. He enters his room, looking at me once more and then the door shuts behind him. I press a hand to my mouth, the tears that I tried to fight earlier escaping beyond my control. I lean against the wall, the sobs beginning to break free, and I slide down until I'm sitting on the floor by myself.

Xxx

**Stanley**

I'm back in the garage, potentially for what could be the last time ever. Being back here after the Tour as well as the Calling, feels so weird. It's like it was a lifetime ago that my biggest worry was getting Ella's necklace ready in time for her birthday, now I probably won't even be there for it. So much has changed, and definitely not for the better. I look down at the metal chain links in my hand, at the attempt at making the locket and with a curse I throw it into the scrap pile. It's just a reminder of what could have been.

Sandor sits opposite me calmly, still tinkering away at another piece of scrap. I wonder if it's another invention for his Lecture Hall, something that I'll be returning to later on today. I don't want to go back, don't want to return to that place ever again. It reminds me of a time when I was hopeful about the future, a time when I thought I could make a difference in the world. It was before I met and fell for Maddy, watched her die, as well as the other Loric too. It was before I screwed everything up on the Tour, getting people killed. It was when life was so simple.

"I could kill them," my voice sounds reasonable, as though the words I just said weren't treasonous. "I could kill them for what they've done to us"

Sandor looks up, a bit of grease on his face. He hadn't even reacted that badly when we'd watched the Announcement, but I remember his hand shaking slightly as he reached for his drink. I had headed straight for the gym, tearing the place apart until the mogs had had to drag me back to my room, screaming and shouting. I couldn't face the thought of going back into the arena, I still can't. But at least now the fear is just a constant, dull ache instead of the sharp stabs of panic that I felt that night. At least the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in a shrinking cage has subsided slightly.

"You can't," Sandor replies simply, turning back to his toy. I know he doesn't mean to be harsh, and he cares in his own way, but he's been tough on me recently, as if he expects me not to hurt. It's like some new resolve has come over him, and he expects me to feel the same.

"I don't want to go back in there Sandor" I snap a piece of metal in my hands. "I can't go back to that place…to the arena" I shake my head. "I'll have to watch more of my friends die" I swallow hard, trying to ignore the lump in my throat. Sandor's face is emotionless but his eyes are stormy.

"You have to" he says, voice hard. "You don't have a choice. You and your fellow Victors did this, now you have to accept the circumstances"

"Why are you being so harsh!" I yell in anger, throwing the metal at the wall. It hits it with a clang and Sandor winces, looking startled. "Don't you give a damn about what's happening? Don't you care whether I live or die?"

"Of course I do!" he snaps, putting his work down. "Of course I care! It's why I'm doing this!" he shakes his head, looking agitated. "Some of the others tributes have already come to terms with everything and are preparing. You're up against real fighters this year Stanley and you have to be prepared! Feeling sorry for yourself won't achieve anything!" he snaps, looking rattled. I take a deep breath, clenching my hands into fists.

"That's easy for you to say" I try to say more evenly. "You're not the one who has to go into the arena and fight your old friends. Imagine if you had to kill Henri, or Katarina. You wouldn't be too happy then, would you?" I scowl. Sandor watches me calmly but I can see the tension brewing in his eyes. He can pretend to be uncaring and distant but I know the truth: this is killing him.

"Of course I wouldn't" he replies. "And you're kidding yourself if you think I don't care" he says, rubbing his face wearily. "You're…you're very important to me Stanley" he whispers. "And you'd be stupid to forget it. If I could, I'd take your place in that arena in a heartbeat…but I can't" Sandor says slowly. I watch him, stunned by his words. This is the first heart to heart we've ever really had. I never knew that he valued me so much; even now I thought I was just another tribute to him, just one who managed to live.

"The only thing I can do is prepare you" Sandor looks me dead in the eyes, pain and grief in his own. "The only thing I can do is train you, so you're ready to face some of the others" he chews his lip. "And the only thing that makes me able to function at the moment is to switch off my emotions and get on with my job. Like I always have done," he says bitterly. I frown, feeling my stomach knot up in guilt and grief. I'd never even really thought about the affect these Games might have had on him, but seeing his pain reminds me that I'm not the only victim.

"If that's what you want, then we'll do that. I owe you after everything you've done for me," I reply.

"Thanks" he smiles in relief, but I can tell he's still upset. I need to distract him before the memoires drag him down.

"So, where do we start?" I ask. This is what Sandor and I are good at. We're experts at preparing and fighting and training.

"We need to see who you're up against. Note their strengths, their weaknesses…" Sandor says grimly, rising from his chair. "It's time to meet your competitors"

Xxx

Sandor switches his monitor back in my room, expertly flicking through the icons on the screen to select a slideshow. I watch in fascination as he selects an icon that brings up a presentation of the tributes and information about them; it seems that Sandor has been busy whilst I've been moping. I feel even more guilty but I try to ignore it; better starting late than never.

"You know last year's Victors of course," he says, typing swiftly on the keyboard. "Maren is incredibly strong and talented, but so are you. John's weakness is Sarah, and vice versa. Marina is intelligent and a decent fighter, but in hand to hand you'll be able to take her down. Joseph is good, not as tough as Maren, but hard to catch" Sandor running through their names and strengths like they're my enemies makes me feel sick, and I block him out. It's too soon to see them as enemies; I went through so much with them. How can I kill them?

"They all have their individual weaknesses…are you listening to me?" Sandor frowns.

"Yes," I sigh, wishing more than anything the others could be safe. John and Sarah…they shouldn't be involved, even after John's speech. If anyone deserved a break it was those two. I know more than anything what it's like to lose the person you love and I don't want either of them to suffer that.

"They're your enemies now" Sandor says gruffly. "So we'll treat them as such" he swipes a few buttons and the screen comes to life, the Capital crest showing up on the screen before being replaced with the first tribute.

"Sophie Arnaud" Sandor pauses on her. "She was chosen first so we'll start with her". It hurts to see her face, after everything we've both been through. Her eyes stare out of the screen in determination; it's as if even in the picture she's thinking of killing us all. It's weird and scary how quickly I've gone from seeing her as my friend, to a potential threat. Maybe out of all of the others, she is the one I'm most scared of facing.

"She wasn't a Victor, but she survived her Games long enough to be granted clemency. She's clever" Sandor says, looking slightly unsure. He knows how close I am to her, and he probably isn't sure what to say. To be honest, I don't know what to say either. I don't want to see her die either, not if it means I live. It'll be like Maddy all over again.

"I know" I nod. "She's too clever" I scowl. "How can I beat someone like her?"

"Well, she's clever and cunning and I wouldn't trust her as an ally" Sandor scans some information. "She'll likely stab you in the back if you let her. She's handy with throwing knives and is a fast runner. She's resourceful" I nod, feeling slightly sick.

"Her weakness is Marcus White" Sandor shows me a picture of another tribute. "He survived the Games with her and I'm assuming they're close. She probably feels protective over him as well, after his mental breakdown. She'll want to protect him from suffering further…You're also her other weakness" he says, a small smile on his face. I frown, shaking my head.

"Me? No way" I snort. Sandor shrugs, but he's definitely grinning now.

"You're the only other person she's close to. She may have become more sentimental in the years since her Games since she thought she would be safe". I feel uncomfortable talking about Sophia as if she's my mortal enemy so I'm relieved when Sandor moves on.

"Callum Shaw" I grimace when I see the grinning guy on the screen. He's huge, bigger than me, and vicious looking. His eyes stare cruelly out of the screen and I can only imagine him in combat.

"He won, as a real Victor instead of a survivor, in the 3rd Games. He was eighteen at the time so is 33 years old. He's handy with pretty much all weapons and likes killing. He's stupid though, and isn't resourceful. He'll form a career pack with a few others to make up for his lack of intelligence," Sandor explains.

"Career pack?" I frown. Sandor grins, but there's a bitter edge to it.

"In these Games the rules are different. You can ally up with as many people as you want, or none if you also choose. A career is the nickname us Mentors have given to those who have been training even after their Games. The mogs sometimes have fighting events in the Stadium in the Capital, and some former tributes take part for fun. Callum is one of them. They'll be deadly together so you better be wary of them" I nod, frowning at the screen. This guy will be a problem.

"Clarrissa Heally" the woman that appears next looks sly and pretty cruel. I sigh in frustration; so far, things aren't looking great.

"Another Career. She's strong and handy with a spear. She survived the first Games ever…"

The names and faces go on and on. Some barely make any impression, but a few stand out: Krista, Lea, Jared and Zeke, all who are thought to be a part of the Career pack. They all look nasty and angry, and are amongst the only ones who actually won their Games, instead of surviving like the majority of the other tributes. I know they're not going to care about the politics of these Games; this twist is just for fun, not to stop a potential uprising. They're going to be a problem but I'll make sure that they'll be _my _problem. I won't make someone like John or Marina deal with those people.

After all, this is my fault. I started this all off in Round 1 and then in Navaria, and it's because of me that made the mogs enforce this twist in the Games. I can't let the others suffer because of my fault, so I'll have to take it all on myself. I may not win, I don't even know if I want to win at the expense of my friends, but I won't be the first to die.

And when the time comes, I'll make my death count.

Xxx

**Adam**

_What's the point in trying anymore? My friends are fighting next year; I don't want us to be behind their deaths, _Hannah snaps, her face twisted up in a scowl.

_What about the year after?_ I reply, fidgeting in the uncomfortable plastic chair. _They will be another Games after this one. What if we can save someone then?_

Hannah shoots me a glare. _Like that's likely. This whole idea was going to fail from the start. _

_Oh yeah? _I shoot back. _And whose idea was it?_

Hannah shuts up, her eyes filled with anger but at least she's quiet. She's been in such a bad mood lately, and I suppose I can't blame her. The Calling took place a few days ago and pretty much all of the tributes from her Games have been called up to fight in six months time. I feel awful too, not as bad as her of course, but I'm still shaken up by everything. The fact that the mogs find it necessary to kill pretty much all of the remaining Loric survivors from the Games must be a bad sign…or a good sign depending whose side you're on. Yet Hannah is just so angry to see that.

I sigh, nervously wiping my hands on my trousers. The room is cold and clinical, with two doors and a few chairs only. Two mog soldiers watch over the applicants in here, as if we're going to cause a problem, but it's practically empty; there are only two other mog applicants in here, and the only other one is being interviewed at the moment. It seems loads of mogs dropped out after the second test; they couldn't handle the pressure. I guess that is one good thing I've learnt from the Games: how to cope under stress.

_Do you really want me to fail?_ I ask Hannah, feeling calmer. She looks at me, her hair falling across her face. It's such a brilliant blonde colour that it still stuns me now, even after all the months of knowing her and having her in my mind.

_I don't know_, she admits, her face as confused as her mind. _Just…try your best. Then we can't regret anything._ She adds, turning away again, her hair blocking me from seeing her face. I feel a flash of guilt, and pain at her grief, but I try to forget it. Feelings won't change anything.

I take a deep breath, my knee jigging up and down as I look over the other two applicants. I don't recognise them, but they're similar to me; scrawny, nerdy-looking…they don't look anything like the mog soldiers, like Ivan. I bet this is the only way mogs like me can make a dent in society; we have to use our brains instead of relying on brute strength.

"Adamus Sutekh" I stand up at once, my heart rate spiking in my chest as I watch one of the guards opens the door to the interview room. I take a few steps forwards, wiping my palms on my clothes discreetly once more.

This is it. My one shot.

The meeting room is a lot different from the cold, waiting room and I immediately notice how warm it is when I enter. I can't help but relax a little in the warmth as I approach the large table in the centre of the room. I barely take in the large wall-to-floor windows, the lush carpet on the floor and the paintings decorated all over the walls. I focus on the huge, mahogany desk that seats the nine lead Gamemakers and Head Gamemaker, Claudius Turnus.

It's a complex system. There are the 30 or so 'normal' Gamemakers, who are really technicians. They create the mutations and control the temperature in the arena, and other really boring stuff, but they're necessary for the Games. Then there are the 'lead Gamemakers'. It's the role I'm applying for and there are supposed to be ten in total. These Gamemakers control the decisions; who should be killed, what mutts should be thrown into the arena…etc. Then there's the Head Gamemaker, they guy that is to be praised or condemned depending on the situation.

"Please sit" Claudius gestures to the chair in front of all ten of them. I sit down nervously, swallowing in anxiety. There are so many of them and I can feel them all staring at me. Unlike the Council, which has absolutely no responsibility but is just made up of stupid elites who want to seem important, these Gamemakers _are_ powerful. They make the decision of who lives and who dies.

And they let Hannah die last year.

_Concentrate, _Hannah lends me her strength, steadying my nerves and anger. _We can think about all that later. Just focus on the task. _I take another deep breath.

"Adamus Sutekh" Claudius looks down at some papers. "Son of General Sutekh" None of the others say anything, but they must know who he is. Only the second most powerful man in the whole of Mogadore and Lorien combined.

"I would have imagined the General's son would go into the army," one of the mogs says in scorn. I wince a little at her sharp, disdainful voice, but I try not to show weakness. "Instead of becoming one of us" They all look at me, their eyes piercing. This is starting to feel more like a trial than an interview.

"Strength isn't my strong point" To my surprise and pleasure my voice sounds confident and strong. "Intelligence is more my forte" Claudius smirks and writes something down. I swallow nervously, hoping I didn't sound arrogant.

"How disappointing for your father" he remarks. "How odd that such a General can have…_this_ as a son" There are a few chuckles and I grit my teeth, but Hannah calms me down by flooding my mind with thoughts of calm and peace. But I can tell she's seething as well; she hates someone having a go at me. Unless it's her of course, but that's different.

"He's not too pleased" I agree, trying to appear unconcerned. "In fact, I think he would try to dispose of me if he could. Unfortunately for him, I'm not very easy to get rid of. I always seem to find an excuse for not dying" The laughter stops and Claudius looks at me, intrigued. I think he expected me to crack at the mention of my father's disappointment, but it's old news for me. I've gotten used to it.

"How fortunate indeed" Claudius puts his papers down. "You're good at arguing then?" He raises an eyebrow.

"It's not that hard to be good at it when most mogs have had their brain cells knocked out of them in training" I shrug, feigning confidence. Inside I'm terrified, but I try not to let them know that. They don't need to know how scared I am.

Claudius laughs, seemingly slightly amused. "True. At least we all have our brains intact" I see a few nods around the table, and I almost feel at home with these mogs. Like me, they've been discriminated against their entire lives because they've not been suited to fighting but to thinking. Like me, they know what it's like to be hated for being different.

_They're not_ that_ different. Not like you are. They'd turn on you in seconds if they knew what you really thought_. Hannah adds viciously, as if alarmed by my thoughts. I swallow, my feeling of companionship disappearing. Hannah's right; these mogs in front of me would kill me if they knew the truth.

"And why do you want to be one of us?" one of the Gamemakers seems keen to get things back on track. "Why do you want to be a Gamemaker?"

I open my mouth, about to repeat the whole spiel about doing something for my people, for my planet. How it would be an honour to take part in the Games, to be able to fight the Loric scum. That's what the other applicants would say. Yet, I don't know if that's what they want. Seeing Claudius' keen eyes on me makes me hesitate. What do they want? They know that mogs have been indoctrinated and wouldn't dream of Mogadore failing. They hear the same speech about glory and honour every day. They don't want that answer.

"I want to be a Gamemaker because…" I say slowly, thinking it through properly. Why do I want to do it? To save Loric children. Obviously I can't say that. But even if I could, it's not the truth. That's not the true, deep secret reason that I want to be a Gamemaker.

"I want to be someone. I don't want to be a failure, working in IT for the rest of my life because there's nothing else for me" I finally say. "I want…I want my father to be proud of me"

Next to me, Hannah looks at me in shock.

Claudius smiles and writes something down on his papers, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. The other Gamemakers don't say anything and I wait for the next question, but they remain silent. One leans towards another and whispers something briefly but I have no idea what they say. Hannah watches me closely, waves of shock washing over the both of us.

_Don't,_ I say wearily. _Not now. _She doesn't say anything but I can feel her accusing eyes on me.

"Thank you, that is all" Claudius straightens up. I frown in confusion; that's it? That was so short, barely anything was covered! But I stand up, just like they expect me to, and make my way over to the door. Why was it so short? Had they already made up their minds?

_It's because the scores from the previous tests say enough about a person. Besides, they'll get references from other people, from colleagues, bosses…fathers, _Hannah explains, getting over her shock and betrayal. I think deep down she knew my reasons for doing this were not as straightforward as I'd claimed. _This meeting was just to make their decision clear._

_And you think I did it? _I open the door and step out into a corridor, a sign directing me back to the entrance of the building. _You think I did enough to become one of them?_

Hannah looks at me, her face unreadable. _I have no idea. You're just going to have to be patient._

_Great, _I grumble. _You know how bad I am at that. _Hannah laughs, shooting me a grin. I'm surprised, considering how angry she was earlier.

_Well, you can't be good at everything, can you?_

* * *

**So, hope you all enjoyed! I know the Navrina ended up being sad, but I tried to make it a happy scene but it just didn't work. It didn't fit at all. I hope you still enjoyed it all!**

**Please review! **


	20. Chapter 19 - Things are changing

**Hi guys!**

**A huge thank you for all of the lovely reviews! Once again they are all lovely and I just can't say thank you enough!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Guest – Wow, you've guessed accurately some of my ideas! That's amazing haha! **

\- **Jul312 – Joseph didn't beat Cody up last chapter but that doesn't mean he won't later on… :D**

**So please read on and all enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 19 – Things are Changing

**Marina**

My fingers trace the ice on the cold glass, my breath fogging on the window. I can see the lawn outside, covered in the fine light layer of frost that will soon become snow. Although it's warm inside, after all there's a fire burning in every room, it feels cold in my bedroom. It feels like everything I touch is turning to ice and I'll never be warm again.

I feel empty now that I'm back in the tribute village, like a block of ice that is hollow inside and ready to crack at any moment. I was so strong back in the Capital: fierce when I volunteered for Ella, and strong when I'd said goodbye to Joseph. Even when saying goodbye to Ella, I'd been unbreakable. I hadn't cried when I hugged her, promising to fight hard to win. I hadn't even felt that upset, just accepting of my fate, and glad that I'd volunteered for her. But as soon as I boarded the ship to bring me back to this awful village, it's like I've become more and more distant from the world.

Downstairs I can hear Adelina setting dinner up, but I don't want to join her. It's just her and me here; Hector has to stay in the Capital and work on my outfit for the ceremonies before the Games. Any friend I thought I had before has been taken away from me: Ella, Hector…Joseph. Joseph is here with me in the Village, but he's supposedly my enemy now, one of the 29 Loric who stand between my survival and I. The thought is so horrendous that I block it out of my mind before it can break me.

"Marina!" Adelina calls my name. "Dinner!"

I don't want to go, but I find myself standing up anyway, obedient as ever. I might as well keep her on side, since she might train me for the Games. Or maybe not, depending on which mood she's in. It alternates between distant Adelina, who refuses to talk to me, or kind Adelina, who wants to make up for her previous mistakes. Most of the time, it's distant Adelina who greets me.

As I make my way downstairs, I notice that nothing has changed in this house, and it makes me feel sick being here once more. I was here just a year ago, thinking that I was going to die in the Games. Fast forward six months and I'd won the Games, thinking I was safe forever. Fast forward another six months and here I am again.

It's weird to think it's been a year and a half since I was chosen in the Calling. A year and a half, and so much has happened. I was only 16 when I was called, soon about to turn 17. Now, I'm going to be 18 in a few weeks; this isn't exactly the celebration I was hoping for. And two years on from the Calling for the 14th Games, I'll be fighting in the Anniversary Games. How is this happening? This is a sick joke.

"Smells good," I say weakly, as I enter the dining room. "What are we having?"

"Pizza" Adelina sets the food down on the table, her hands shaking slightly. I wonder if it's hard for her being back here too. "I wasn't in the mood for cooking proper food," she admits. I smile, sliding into a nearby chair. I don't feel hungry, but as soon as she sets the food on my plate, my stomach growls. I tuck into my food since it won't hurt to put some weight on for the Games.

"How are you feeling?" Adelina asks after a while. I've already eaten half of my pizza, but she has barely touched hers. I forget sometimes that she suffers as much as I do in the Games, and sympathy for her fills me. I need to be more considerate of her feelings; it's not just me who's suffering.

"I'm ok" I sigh. "Not exactly happy, but there we go" I shrug, tearing a piece of pizza in half. Adelina nods, poking weakly at the salad on the side of her plate.

"We need to talk about training," she says. I open my mouth at once, not liking the sound of this. If she's going to refuse to train me, I swear I'll go mad.

"You _are_ training me, right?" I ask, my voice cold. Adelina nods at once, guilt flashing in her eyes. Her mouth pinches together, and I can see her eyes narrow slightly as she tries to control her own temper. But she looks ashamed too because she knows that my doubts aren't unfounded.

"Of course I will," she replies, her voice sounding controlled. "I've learnt from my mistakes" she chews on a tiny piece of food, looking a bit sick. "I was thinking of strategies, which weapon to use…that kind of thing"

"Bow and arrow" I reply at once. It strikes me then that I've gotten down to business, just like her. I thought that I could never bring myself to killing my friends, and I could never kill Joseph, but that I might find it easier to kill people I don't know.

"That's a fragile weapon," Adelina points out. "Your one got broken in Round 1," she argues. I shrug, chewing on my last piece of pizza.

"But it's the thing I'm best at" I reply. "There's no point me learning a new skill, when I can just improve the one I've got" I argue. "Besides, what use is a knife or a sword when I'm hiding up a tree or far away from an enemy? A bow and arrow is a better long-distance weapon"

"And if you're close to your opponent?" she replies. I shrug.

"Well, I better learn to run fast" I retort. Adelina smiles despite herself, and then sighs, chewing another piece of pizza.

"Fine, we'll stick with the bow and arrow" she gives in. "But we'll be working on your strength work so that if you're ever in hand-to-hand combat, you'll be able to fight" she replies. I nod, a smile appearing on my face. This is probably the first time that I've ever won a fight about training with Adelina, and it feels great. Finally, things will go my way.

"And what about alliances?" I ask, poking at my pizza. I can't help but think of Joseph, the only person I want to ally up with. I blink back tears from my eyes as I think of him, my friend who is sentenced to death just like I am. Will he want to be my ally? I know the answer at once; of course he will. He'd probably be my ally to keep me alive, even if it meant his death. He's just that good of a person.

"We'll deal with alliances in the Capital, in your final group sessions," Adelina replies. "We train here for the next six months until the Games, and then we head back to the Capital for the usual parade, interviews. They'll hold some group sessions for all of you, so you can see your competitors fighting for the first time" Adelina explains. I nod, pushing my plate away from me. I have a lump in my throat, and I feel sick at the thought of the Games. There's no way in hell that I'll be able to win these Games, no way.

"Adelina…" I pause. "Do you think…do you think there's any chance that they'll call off these Games? If people are angry that the Victors have been chosen…then do you think that they'll stop them?" I ask, my voice sounding like a young child's. Adelina watches me closely and then shakes her head, her face filled with sympathy.

"No…no I don't think there's any chance of that" she finally replies. "You're going to have to fight your friends, whether you like it or not Marina" her words are hard, but her voice is filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry… I know it's hard…but you're going have to realise that at the end of the day, they're not your friends, they're your enemies now,"

Xxx

**Sophia**

_I crouch behind a cactus, the sun hot even at this early hour in the morning. My throat and mouth are dry, and I'm desperate for water, but reaching for my water bottle would make a noise and reveal my position. I can wait for a few hours if that's what it takes, although I hope to be long gone by then. I peer at the cornucopia again, the gold shining painfully bright in the sun and I narrow my eyes to help with the glare. _

_I knew before I came in here that going to a feast means certain death, but I can't help it; I'm desperate. They promised the one thing that we desperately need and I need medicine. Badly. Just a few days ago I was bitten by one of the mutated snakes in here and I can feel the wound getting worse; it's infected and I can feel the poison slowly taking over my body. It's sapping my energy and making it harder to think, to react. If I don't get the medicine, then the wound will take over and kill me. _

_There's a nearby movement and I jump, berating myself angrily. I watch as the ground in front of the cornucopia opens up, and a table with sacks appears. Names have been written in elegant curved writing on the bags so that we know whose are whose, but I know that won't stop some mogs. They'll take whatever they can get to kill us. I peer around, waiting to see if anyone appears, but it seems that everyone is waiting for someone to make the first move._

_It needs to be me. I can't lose my sack, or I'm dead._

_I'm on my feet at once and racing for the table, my feet hitting the hot hard ground. Despite my dehydration, sweat pours down my face and neck, but I don't have time to wipe it away. My leg aches with pain where I was bitten but I try to ignore the pain and focus on running instead. I need that sack. I hear movement from the side and instinct built up in the first week of this Round makes me drop to the ground and roll. _

_A spear thuds into the ground close where I was running a second ago._

_I get up on my feet, glancing hurriedly at the mog on my trail. It's that big brute of a mog, the one who seems determined to fight me. Ever since I threw that dagger into his friend's neck this mog has been desperate to kill me. I stifle my sob of panic and scramble to start running again. I need my sack. But my wound makes it harder to run and I feel my energy sapping quickly. My breath comes out in gasps and there's a dull ache in my leg where I was bitten._

_Not long now. I'm so close. _

_I make it to the table, grabbing the bag and sliding it up on my arm. I can see more Loric running for the table, followed by a lot more mogs. Oh god, there are so many. We've barely made a dent in their numbers at all…not like they've done to us. I swallow back my panic, my hands fumbling for the throwing knives at my belt. The mog that is determined to kill me is starting to gain on me and I need to get out of here now. _

_I turn and run, my panic making me quicker. My head is pounding in pain, and my rucksack bumps painfully against my back, but I'm moving away from the cornucopia now. My leg is burning in agony, but I have to keep moving. I manage to grab one of the knives, and just in time because a mog lunges out from the side. He's fast, but hot and tired after exposure to the sun, something he's clearly not used to. I manage to sink my knife in his throat before he can stab me with his sword and then I'm off again. I may have killed a mog but I wasted precious seconds._

_I hear the pounding feet behind me and know what's coming, but it's too late. The mog with a grudge grabs me from behind, swinging me round and slamming me to the ground. I cry out in pain, desperately trying to scrabble away, but he puts his foot on my back, the dirt and sand filling my eyes and mouth. I struggle in panic, my hands desperately rummaging for my blades, but there's no point. My wound hurts and I'm weak from dehydration. This is it. This is the end. _

_My brother's face suddenly appears in my mind, his expression angry and disappointed. He'll be watching this. He'll watch me die without putting up a fight. He'll be so ashamed…and I know that I can't let him watch me die. He'd never get over it. With my last surge of strength, I roll over and dodge, just as the axe thuds into the sand next to me. The mog growls in anger, lunging down and closing his hands around my throat. I gasp, and try to fight him off but he's so strong. I can see something approach out of the corner of my eye, the thud of footsteps and the sound of a yell when-_

I wake up with a scream, the sheets tangled around my legs. I'm shaking and sweating, my hands clutching the sheets. For a moment I think I'm still in my dream, the mog's hands still around my neck, and it's easy to believe that when I'm gasping for breath. The door slams open and then the lights are on, blinding me, whilst I sit up, ready to fight whoever's there. Christina looks at me, her hair ruffled around her face and her face slightly crumpled, like she just woke up. Her eyes are wide and alert though, as they dart around the room, looking for the threat.

"Are you all right?" she asks urgently, taking in the scene. I nod, shakily detangling myself from the bed sheets. My heart is still pounding frantically in my chest, and I feel sick, but I don't want her to be even more worried than she already is.

"It was just a nightmare," I whisper. Christina bites her lip, looking like she wants to say something but then decides against it. I sigh as push my hair away from my face, noticing that it's dark outside still. It must be the middle of the night.

"What did you dream about?" Christina finally asks. I grimace, rubbing my face. Adrenalin has left me completely and I feel drained, tired. I just want to sleep, but then I'm scared that I'll have another dream.

I just want to forget everything, even if only for a few hours.

"My Games. The Feast" I reply shortly. Christina frowns, entering the room and sitting on the edge of my bed, her eyes filled with worry.

"It's over. You're not in there anymore" she whispers. I snort, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and heading over to my window. I need fresh air, to help clear my mind.

"That's a lie," I snap. "I'm going back in there in six months. And this time there is _no_ chance that I'll come out alive" I see her wince as I throw the window open, the cold air streaming in at once. I shiver at once, but it's wonderful at the same time to have the cold air cooling me down and clearing the panic from my mind.

Christina says nothing but I watch as she gingerly pulls a blanket around her. She looks frail, weak. The Announcement was as unexpected for her as it was for all of us, and it was definitely unwelcome. I knew something was going to happen, and I'd known about the twist, only one winner, but I'd never thought for a moment that I would go back in there. Me against 29 other Victors, who are stronger and crueller than me. The thought sends waves of black panic washing over me and I take a deep breath, trying to forget about it. There's nothing I can do now; I just have to do all I can to be better than the others.

"I can't go back in there" I trace the pattern of frost on the outside of the window, my breath fogging against the glass. I feel Christina's gaze land on me, but I don't turn to face her.

"You have to" she says simply, her voice breaking. I shake my head, trembling from cold and fear.

"I can't," I whisper. "It was bad enough letting Anya die…how can I kill them intentionally?" I turn to her, tears burning in my eyes. Christina watches me, both sympathy and fear crossing over her face. She's as lost and confused as I am. Neither of us is sure of what to do, and that just makes it all the worse.

Stanley…how can I kill Stanley? He's my friend, and he's damaged after his Games. He may not show it, but I know how guilty he feels about Navaria, about Maddy. How can I kill someone who is so close to breaking down themselves? And Marcus…he's so fragile, so weak compared to the others. He's still healing from everything he had to do over a year ago…how can he fight and kill others all over again? And more importantly, how can _I _kill him?

"I can't do it" I realise with dawning horror. "I just can't do it" I can't kill them, even if I don't know them. I can't kill my own people. Christina watches me, tears in her eyes.

"You have to"

Xxx

**Unknown POV – Wanderer**

I'm back in the elevator once more, the thing still creaking and groaning as it makes its way down to the bottom floor of the bunker. Through the glass window, I can see the many floors passing by us, whilst Loric in grey and black uniforms march along, their faces severe. The guard next to me looks at his watch impatiently, his face filled with a scowl.

"We're late" he says accusingly. I shrug, wishing that I could have changed out of my travel-strained clothes. I feel grubby, covered in blood and grime from the hard journey, and I feel like I could collapse any moment. I feel so tired and sore, but I know I should be glad I'm alive.

"It's getting harder to reach here" I reply. "The Mogs are blocking all unauthorised routes. I barely made it out of Innail" The guard scowls but he doesn't reply. He knows that he has no ground to stand on; it's far safer down here, surrounded by air ships and bombs rather than being up in the open air with mogs on your trail. He hasn't faced the real world yet, not like I have. I'd choose this place any day.

The elevator jars to a stop, and the doors slide open, revealing the huge centre hallway of the bunker. As always, I look up, amazed by the many floors and complexities of this compound. This part is only the surface; the complex spreads for miles and miles in both directions, with everything from bombs to hospitals to training halls. It's both exhilarating and terrifying considering this whole place is underground, but the engineers know what they're doing. They've survived here 15 long years; they can survive another few months.

"This way" the guard leads me down the usual corridor, using his key card to get into a few restricted areas. It seems that this floor is for the hierarchy only, but you couldn't tell; they all wear the same uniform. I follow him, slightly intimidated by the concrete hallways and solemn airs of the people walking by, but I try to remain professional. I'm one of them; I shouldn't feel like this.

"Here" the guard opens the door for me, revealing the conference room. "President Laws will be along soon"

"Thank you" I step inside nervously, noticing that the room is empty. There is a large table in the middle, a map of Lorien spread out. There are diagrams and drawings on the map, and hastily crossed out places. I notice that where Mort once was, there is a large black spot, as if someone blocked it out. Thinking of that burning city, the bombs raining down on us as I'd desperately tried to escape sends a shudder through me. I'll never forget that night. Never.

I settle down in a chair, resting my head in my hands, and trying to block out the memories. I'm so tired. The journey was hard; it seemed like I had mogs on my every trail, no matter what measures I took to avoid them. In the end I'd had to memorise the information and burn the file; if the mogs got a hold of them, this place would be ruined. I managed to get here in the end but it had been the hardest and most stressful trip I've made for her so far.

The door opens and I straighten up, smiling when I notice our President enter. She's dressed in her trademark suit, her greying hair pulled up in a tight bun, enhancing the lines on her face. She can't be much older than 50, but the events of the last 15 years have aged her. Yet, despite her appearance, President Laws is perhaps the most terrifying woman that you'll ever meet in your life. She's strong and intelligent and if Setrakus Ra knew she existed, I think he would be scared. She's a force to be reckoned with.

"You made it back then" She smiles when she sees me, but I can see the weariness in her eyes too. She must have heard the news then. I nod, shaking her hand, before she takes her seat at the head of the table, sitting up straight. I feel lazy for slumping but I feel so weary. Besides, she won't care.

"It wasn't easy" I reply. "The mogs have blocked all pathways eastwards from Innail" I reply. "They're terrified of anything beyond the cities' borders. There's a curfew and restrictions to travel. I think it could be the same for other cities but I'm not sure," She nods, but I can see a glint of worry in her eyes.

"Any chance they'd search the terrain?" she asks. "We can't have them finding us"

I shake my head at once. "Anything past the Bloodwater terrifies them. And considering we're beyond the mountains, they'll never even dare. They're far too terrified. We're perfectly safe" I reassure her. She nods, pursing her lips. I can almost feel her curiosity but she's too professional to show it.

"And the files?" She asks. Her hands are folded in front of her on the table, and I can see her knuckles are white from her clenched grip. No, she's not nearly as relaxed as she makes out.

"I had to destroy them. The mogs were on my trail and I thought they might catch me. I couldn't stand the thought of them having the information so I memorised it" I tell her. She nods, but I can tell she's unhappy. "I can write them down for you, if you want?" I ask, feeling her disappointment.

She considers. "Tell me what you found out and then report to Gustav tomorrow to rely the information for our files" she says. I nod, wiping my sweaty palms on my trousers.

"Mort is gone," I say, not mincing my words. "The city and everyone in it was bombed to ruins after the Tour. Navaria is under control of the Scouts but the people aren't happy; you can tell they want to fight back, they just don't have the power or strength at the moment," Laws nods, reaching for a pen and paper, and writing a few notes.

"I'm not sure about the Southern Cities. They've never suffered as much as the Northerners, who are desperate for a fight. Especially after the announcement" Laws raises her eyebrows in surprise, a smile curving the sides of her lips.

"Really?" she asks. "I would have thought the announcement would have scared them, not made them act"

I shake my head. "They know why the twist for the Games was put in place. They're not stupid," I reply. "Besides, I don't think anything will stop them now. Kill the Victors and they have martyrs. Don't kill the Victors and they have leaders. That's the general feeling I got," I tell her. She nods, an eager light in her eyes.

"The Southern Cities aren't so sure then" she frowns. "I'm sure that'll change when the mogs turn their attention to them. And they _will. _They must be terrified of losing control," she says forcefully. I nod, straightening up in my chair.

"Especially Baladh. One of the tributes, Sophia Arnaud, was from there, and her brother is the head of the Loric council there. And he's not happy at all" I add. Laws frowns in confusion.

"Loric Council?" she asks. I smile; it's so easy to forget that the people down here have no contact with the world above. They have no idea what goes on and what systems they have. Whereas I've spent years accumulating all of this information.

"Baladh has a minor Loric council to deal with their troubles within the City. It's not very powerful Government-wise, but they have a huge influence on the people. And with their leader's, Corban, sister in the Games, he is _not_ going to be happy. He's going to make some noise," I explain. Laws nods, looking thoughtful.

"Would it be worth sending a Scout there to tell him of us? To enlist his aide," She ponders. "It sounds like his connection could be valuable. We need to get all cities on side, and we're lacking in links with the Southern Cities. It sounds like we need this Corban," She says, tapping her notebook with her pen. I know that this statement will only be the start of a week-long discussion between her and her council, but I'm all for it.

"That's a good idea. Baladh is vital, in terms of its geographical position. It's right in the centre of the South. They need your help too, for guidance and allying up the cities. The mogs have managed to disconnect all the cities so they can't contact one another and ally up," I elaborate. She looks down at her notes, her forehead wrinkled as she thinks.

"And Innail? What is it like there?" she asks, her piercing grey eyes watching me closely. I fidget slightly, shrugging.

"I'm not sure," I admit. "I never went in the end, because it was just too dangerous. The Anniversary Games had just been announced the day I got to the Riverlands and the city was on high alert. I didn't dare go in, just in case the mogs became suspicious" Laws nods, her face unreadable.

"Yes, I can see why the announcement might have caused some fears among the mogs" she says shortly.

"What's going to happen though?" I can't help but blurt out. It's been worrying me ever since I found out, despite all of our progress. "The Victors are going to die in the Games! That can't happen or everything will be over!" I say urgently. She nods, a grim smile on her face as she closes her notebook.

"That is true," she agrees. "It cannot happen. Without the Victors, our cause will be severely damaged, even ruined," she stands up, and I scramble to my feet, knowing the meeting is over. But I don't have my answers!

"Then what's going to happen?" I push, desperate to know. "What are you going to do?"

Laws smiles tightly, her eyes watching me closely. "_I_ will not be doing anything" she replies. "_You_ will be the one carrying out the mission" I raise my eyebrows beyond confused. What can _I_ do? Laws smiles at my puzzlement, but her face is serious.

"Your next assignment will be to go to the Capital. You need to talk to our insiders, to give them some information. You must _never_ look at it, and the file _must_ make it to them" she says, her voice stern. "Our cause rests entirely on your ability to get into the Training Centre _alive_ and _with the file" _This sounds impossible, yet I have to do it. Laws smiles, but there's a cold light in her eyes. She's worried; things are hanging in the balance and she isn't in complete control anymore.

"Who? Who are the insiders?" I ask, trying to steady my nerves.

She tells me.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed! **

**Please review!**


	21. Chapter 20 - Killers

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I love reading all the comments and the only reason I keep going is because you guys are supporting me! Thank you all so much!**

**So I know it's not the most interesting part of the story at the moment but I don't want to rush the story and jump to exciting points without developing the story or characters.**

**It's also my birthday today so it would be lovely to have reviews haha! :D **

**Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 20 – Killers

**Adam**

"Oh Adam," Mum straightens my tie, her face shining with pride. "You look so smart!" she beams. I blush, trying to push her away gently, but I can't help but admit that it feels nice to be fussed over by her. It's nice to finally make her proud, instead of her having to cover for all of my mistakes.

Turns out that I had impressed Claudius Turnus and the other Gamemakers enough to get the job. Apparently my reference from Surveyor Bates wasn't horrendous enough to damage my chances, and paired with my qualifications, and yes, even my past in the Games, I turned out to be an ideal candidate. I'm so used to being seen as a failure by my Father that I forget that I'm considered quite an impressive Mogadorian citizen. Enough to get me a job as a Gamemaker anyway.

"So, remember, you have to be respectful, but show off too, because there's a six week gap where they can fire you without questions asked…" my mother rambles on, as she continues to straighten my tie. I ignore her, trying to suppress the nerves in my stomach; it won't do getting nervous now.

"I better go" I tell her, gently pushing her away. "Otherwise I'll be late" My mother nods at once, a huge grin still on her face.

"Have fun!" she beams. "And show them how clever you are! Make the family proud!" she walks me to the door, still fussing. My father is nowhere to be seen, but since he didn't order Ivan to kill me after finding out about my job, I'm guessing that he's not angry about it. I guess he's not too upset, maybe even happy. He might be glad that I'm doing something useful and am someone to be proud of.

"I'll see you later," I kiss her cheek, heading down the steps. It's only a short walk to the Training Centre where I'll be working now. I wave to my mother once more and then turn the corner, my pretence dropping at once.

I don't want to do this. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but only now is the reality starting to hit me. Why did I ever think this was a good idea? There's no way I'll ever be able to save children, when I'm up against ten other Gamemakers and Claudius Turnus. It was a stupid mistake, and now I'll be directly responsible for kid's deaths. And this year…this year it's the Anniversary Games and I'll be responsible for 29 Loric deaths. And some of them will be Hannah's friends.

I shiver and tug my coat tighter around me. I can't think like this, there must be _something_ that I can do, but I know that deep down it's impossible. All hopes of change and helping the Loric were pointless. Maybe over time I'll start to become like my old self once more: celebrating Loric deaths and wanting the Mogs to win. The thought makes me feel sick, and I'm almost tempted to turn around and head home. I don't think I can do this anymore.

_Well, there's nothing we can do about this now, _Hannah says weakly, her face reflecting her sick feeling. _We might as well just get on with it._ It wasn't until I was told that I had got the job that we both realised what a horrible mistake we'd done.

_Doesn't change anything though, does it?_ I reply, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

Hannah doesn't reply. There's nothing she can say.

Xxx

"One of the first things we sort out is the arena," Lavinia, my mentor, informs me. "We're halfway through the process of finalising details for this year's arena"

"Ok" I nod, trying not to look overwhelmed. I'm sat in the large meeting room for Games preparation and I feel completely out of my depth. I have no idea what to do, or what to say, but fortunately I've been assigned a mentor to help me out for the next few weeks. It's both a mixture of fascinating and sickening sitting here as they debate ways for kids to die.

"We all individually draw up some ideas and then debate them. We choose the best one," Lavinia continues, smiling at the look on my face. "Don't worry, you're new and not expected to have done anything. This year will be a learning experience more than a job" she reassures me.

"Right…but that Games are in six months? Can it be built in time?" I ask in confusion. She grins, tossing her hair back.

"Of course!" she trills. "Oh Adam, you have _so_ much to learn!" she laughs.

Claudius clears his throat, and we turn to his attention, watching as he spreads a diagram out on the table. It's rough and messy, with lots of scribbles and notes, but I can make out a circle with some weird lines in the middle. I have a feeling that arena diagrams are just one of many things that I'm going to have to learn.

"I received a special request from Our Beloved Leader last night" Claudius begins, looking proud of himself. I guess speaking to Setrakus Ra is still a huge bonus for him, even as Head Gamemaker.

"His Beloved Leader was interested?" one of the men asks in confusion. It must be odd for him to intervene, but after recent events I'm not surprised. He'll want all of Hannah's fellow Victors to be killed I bet, to stop any chance of an uprising.

"He wants us to go with Melissa's arena instead of with Lukas'" Claudius spreads out what must be Melissa's plans. She practically jumps with joy at her plans being chosen over Lukas, who I'm guessing is the scowling guy in the corner. It's almost comical.

_Look at their faces. This is all they care about, getting Setrakus' approval, _I tell Hannah. I expect her to laugh along with me in disdain, or at least to get a nod but I get nothing. Oh great, it's like she's in a mood with me.

_Are you annoyed with me?_ I want to sigh, but obviously I can't when I'm in this room full of people. But there's nothing. I look around, expecting Hannah to be nearby, grinning in amusement, but she's nowhere to be found. I try and reach out for her with my mind but I can't feel anything.

Hannah's gone. She's _gone._

I try not to panic, but my heart rate accelerates in fear. What's going on? Hannah's never left me before but she's definitely not in my mind right now. It's like she's just disappeared into thin air and never existed, was just a figment of my imagination. I try to search for her desperately but it's like my mind is empty and it's just me.

_Hannah!_ I call out in a panic but there's nothing. My hands are sweating and my breath is almost coming in gasps, but I have to remain calm. I don't want to cause a scene. I wipe my hands against my trousers, feeling dizzy in my panic. She can't leave me; she can't go. She can't leave me alone, not after everything we've been through together.

"And I personally think the theme is very fitting and I love the twist…" Claudius continues. I swallow desperately, trying to control my anxiety. I can't have a meltdown in front of these people otherwise I'll lose my job. I can't because then my father will hear about it and will get suspicious.

"Can I just go to the toilet?" I ask Lavinia, needing an immediate escape. She nods at once, not really interested in me and more intrigued in the conversation. She whispers a few directions and I leave the room, trying to act normal, but inside I'm terrified.

"Hannah?" I whisper, the minute the door shuts behind me. "Hannah? Where are you?"

Nothing.

I stagger to the bathroom, trying not to cry, but tears are burning in my eyes. No, _no. _I collapse in a stall, tears streaking down my cheeks. She's gone; she's left me. It's like her dying all over again but worse. At least she was in my mind, maybe not alive, but still here. But now…there's nothing. I scream her name in my mind over and over but it's like I can't reach her. She's left me and I'm all alone once more. Maybe she couldn't take the meeting and gave up. Maybe she just didn't care for me that much to stay.

_Ad-Adam? What's going on? Why are you sitting on the floor?_

"Hannah?!" I sit up at once at the contact. I gasp when I see her form sitting on the floor near to me, like it's back to normal once more. But she's flickering and looks faint, shaken.

"Where the hell did you go?" I laugh, a grin on my face. I feel so relieved, so happy that I could hug her, but obviously I can't. Having her presence in my mind is like having a blanket that I never realised I depended so much on. I never realised how much I loved sharing my mind with her.

_I__…__I don't know, _she whispers. _One minute I was here and then I was gone. I couldn't find you__…_she shudders, not sharing my joy. _And then I came back. _Her eyes are haunted and I can tell she feels shaken. Her sudden disappearance scared me too, but I'm just filled with relief. It seems Hannah doesn't feel the same.

"What counts is that you're back now though," I tell her. She nods, but I can tell she's keeping something from me. I don't even care; I'm so relieved to have her back in my mind that I don't even care why she might be disappearing like that. I know I should but I can't.

_Yeah__…__I suppose, _she nods, rubbing her face. Her form is starting to solidify again and soon she looks like she normally does. I relax in relief, but I know I need to head back soon.

"Are you ok if I go back to the meeting?" I ask her. "We can talk about what happened later….when we're both calmer" I reassure her. She nods, and I stand up, my heart still thudding a little, but at least everything is back to normal now.

As we head back to the room, I feel occupied and there's a sick feeling of dread in my stomach. I don't know what the hell just happened, and even though I'm relieved that she's back, I've got this awful feeling that this could just be the beginning. That Hannah's disappearance won't be the last. And that one day it might be permanent.

Xxx

**Cody**

"Ella?" I hesitantly knock on her door. "Ella? Can I talk to you?"

I don't hear anything for a bit but then there's a shuffling noise and the door opens. Ella peers out, her eyes bloodshot and her face paler than normal. She's in her pyjamas and I can tell from her mussed up hair that she's been in bed all morning. She looks young, but the look in her eyes belongs to someone far older than she is. Well, she has been through a lot for her age.

"Hey" I attempt a smile. "Can I talk?"

She shrugs and moves away from the door, opening it wider, instead of slamming it on me. So, it seems that Marina never told her about my secret. I can't help but be glad. I don't want someone else to hate me. Like Marina, I'm upset by what happened the other day at the Calling; Marina and Ella should have both been kept here, safe in the Capital. But life doesn't always go according to plan and I was hoping that Marina's anger wouldn't cause her to tell anyone the truth about my allegiance. Thankfully, it hasn't.

"What do you want?" Ella breaks my trance as I stand awkwardly in her apartment. She wipes her nose, looking a little lost. I can't help but feel sorry for her; to lose all of your friends, especially when one volunteered for you must be hard. It must be hard to move on.

"I came to see how you were" I reply, smiling at her. "I wanted to make sure that you were all right, after the Calling and everything," Ella winces, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I'm fine" she replies shortly. "Besides, there's nothing that talking can do anyway. There's _nothing_ that I can do. I'm useless," she looks around her living room, looking lost. I bet everything must be so different for her now; there's no Marina, no Stanley. There's nothing for her here now and she must know it. Unless…well, there is _something _that she could do.

"You can always do something," I reply. Ella looks up at me, her eyes big and almost scared. She's hunched over, as if to protect herself from the world.

"Yeah right," she whispers. "My friends are going to die…Marina" she chokes up, and tears fill her eyes. "I'm going to watch them die and there's nothing I can do about it" she says softly, the pain audible in her voice.

I shrug, crossing my arms over my chest. "Really?" I look at her closely. Setrakus Ra wanted her saved for a reason, but why? What's so special about her? She's nothing compared to me. Yet she must be something special otherwise Setrakus would never have selected her.

"What are you saying?" she straightens up. She still looks scared and lost, but also slightly determined. It's funny, you don't see this side of her when Marina and Stanley are around; being without them is forcing her to grow up, and that can only be a good thing.

"That you join a side," I suggest. "These Games weren't done for a reason. There's trouble going on and you know it" Trouble that will just lead to the Loric's deaths, but I don't mention that. I don't want to scare her unnecessarily. Besides, it will hardly persuade her to join the mogs side, and I have a feeling that's what Setrakus wants.

Ella frowns. "You want me to fight for the Loric?" she asks. I snort, and shake my head at once, trying not to laugh.

"Don't be stupid!" I snort. "They've lost! Their war is over before it's even begun" I stand up, approaching her. "I'm talking about joining the mogs" Ella shakes her head at once; her eyes flashing with something like anger. She stands taller, her tiny hands clenched into fists by her sides.

"No way!" she hisses. "The mogs are the reason Marina and Stanley are going back in the arena to fight! There's no way I'd join them!" Her determination surprises me, but at the same time, it's a good shock. She has guts after all.

"And what if I told you that you and Marina weren't even supposed to be chosen? That the mogs wanted to spare you all from the Games to protect you" I snap. She falters, her face paling slightly. I can tell that my claim has thrown her, but she shakes her head, as if to clear her mind.

"I would say that you're lying," she stammers. "Why would they want to protect me and Marina?" she frowns. I lean forward, knowing that I've got her hooked.

"Why don't you come with me and you can find out?" I offer. She watches me, her eyes wide and curious, as she chews on her lip.

She's intrigued, despite herself, and wants to find out the answers. She's curious as to why she and Marina were chosen to be saved. And maybe, there's a part of her like me, a part of her that wants to be recognised. She's always been in Marina or Stanley's shadow, always one of them looking out for her. Even when she got her legacies, it wasn't publicised nearly as much as Maren's talent at killing or Stanley's aggressive nature. There's a part of her that wants to be seen, to be recognised. What she doesn't realise it that the mogs can do that for her.

"I don't think I should," she finally says. "Sounds dangerous," she whispers. I shrug, moving to the door, but deep down I'm angry. Why is she being so stupid? Can't she see the wonderful opportunity being offered to her?

"So you're a coward," I snort. "Hiding behind people all your life has made you weak," I say derisively. Her face fills with anger at once, and her hands ball up in fists once more.

"I'm _not_ a coward!" she snaps. "Don't you dare call me that! You don't know me!" she snaps, her face turning red. I laugh, amused by her anger; so far, I'm not impressed with her.

"Why don't you come with me and prove me wrong then?" I challenge. Ella's jaw tightens but she nods, crossing her arms.

"Fine, I-" she's interrupted when the door opens behind me. Instinctively I turn around at once, expecting a fight, but it's just her mentor, Crayton. His eyes narrow when he sees me; anger and wariness crossing over his face.

"What's going on?" he asks, his voice controlled. It seems that he knows about my involvement with the mogs, guessing by the looks he's sending me, but doesn't have the courage to push his luck. He must know that one word from me can ruin his career.

"Nothing, I was just leaving," I say. My heart is beating a little faster than normal, and I feel a little panicked as he looms over me. I watch from the corner of my eye as Ella nods, and Crayton relaxes slightly, but he's still tense.

"Well, you know where the door is" he gestures behind him. I scowl at his rudeness, doesn't he know who he's talking to, but head to the door anyway. I turn as I reach the doorway, focusing on Ella. She still looks confused, and upset, and I shoot her a look.

"Don't forget what I said" I tell her, before shutting the door behind me.

Xxx

**Maren**

It's early when I wake up, the sun barely creeping over the horizon. A cold wind blows in through the barely open window and I shiver, pulling the covers around my chin. Once I would have loved this wind; it meant that I could track the animals, covering my scent with old leaves blowing in the wind. It meant that I could hunt for hours on end, bringing back the kills for my family to enjoy or trade.

How things have changed. It brings a lump to my throat to think of the old days when I would hunt in the woods for hours on ends with the only thing to fear being hungry stomachs back home. I could waste hours in the woods, catching fish, shooting birds, swimming in the lake…it was perfect. It was my haven. But I haven't been hunting in over a year and that's all because of the Games. I wonder if I'll have lost some of my skill with a snare, or a bow and arrow because of everything else I've been doing. I hope not…I'll need all my skills in the arena.

And my family. It's been so long that I've been able to have a normal conversation with them, without the threat of death looming over us all. I smile when I think of the evenings we would spend together, Lilia plaiting my hair, whilst Catia did her homework in the corner. My mother would read us something, sometimes a story or a poem, but they would always be positive, happy things. I think of how happy I used to be, how much I loved being at home with them all.

I think of Lilia, who used to depend so much on me. I wonder if she's grown up, is more independent. A lump rises in my throat when I think of Catia, who was so strong and looked after all of us when father died, who has always been there for me. I have never been there for her, even when their lives depended on it. And now they'll be forced to see me fight and kill and turn into a monster. Tears burn in my eyes and I do what I've always done; I try to forget about them so that the pain disappears. It's easier to cope with loss when you don't think about it.

I roll over in bed, watching as the lights of the house opposite me turn on. Someone's getting up already to train. The thought fills me with fear and I sit up, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders. Whoever is in the house opposite me is ready to fight for their survival, even if it means taking down other Loric. Whoever lives there is ready to be a murderer.

The thought fills me with dread, and I get up, switching the light on with telekinesis. I need to prepare too, instead of lying around and thinking of a past that I can never return to. There's no point in feeling sorry for myself now; what's done is done and I have to cope with that. I have to move on and focus on the present.

I get dressed quickly, padding through the dark house to get to the Training Hall. Kat is still asleep, but I remember enough from our training sessions before the first Games. I know how to operate this room. I unlock it and enter the room, amazed once more by its size and contents. Nothing has changed, yet everything looks different. Maybe because I know that there is no way for there to be more than one survivor this year. Maybe because I know that I won't be facing unnamed and unknown enemies. I'll be against old friends who will be new enemies.

I step into the room, letting the door shut behind me. I approach the weapons stand, picking up the mean looking machete. Not even this year will I use this. If I'm going to kill someone, it might at least be slightly dignified and less painful. I put it back, and look at the other weapons: the bow and arrow, the sword, throwing knives, axes…there are so many weapons to choose from. I have to be good at all of them if I'm to win. Some of the tributes will have favourite weapons: Stanley loves the pipe staff and Marina loves the bow and arrow. I have to be able to master all of them if I'm to fight them off.

I pick up the bow and arrow to start with, admiring the smooth curve of the weapon. It's been made out of metal instead of the usual wood. I wonder if that's to make it harder to break, meaning a better fight. I remember Marina's bow and arrow broke last year, so I wouldn't be surprised if they change weapons to strengthen their weaknesses. Otherwise the fights won't be as fun if one person's defenceless.

"Don't you know what time it is?" Instinct kicks in at once, and loading the arrow before I can think, I spin on my heel and aim at the person in the doorway. Seeing Kat standing there in the doorway stills my hand before I can shoot her. I drop the bow at once, shocked by my own reaction.

"Don't you know better than to startle me when I'm armed?" I ask, my heart beating fast. Recent events have made me paranoid. Kat laughs, shrugging good-naturedly as she enters the room.

"Touché" she grins. "But honestly why _are_ you down here? It's not even six yet and you've got a long day of training ahead. You need to sleep," she asks, standing next to me. I gently place the bow and arrow down on the stand, frowning slightly.

"Because I need to be ready, Kat. There are some real killers going up this year, and I need to be able to beat them. And if that means getting up at six, then so be it" I say fiercely, turning to her. "I'm not going to die, Kat. I refuse to let my sisters and mother see me be killed" Kat nods, her face conflicted.

"Even if that means killing your friends?" she asks softly. I know she doesn't mean to be mean, or cruel, but it hurts all the same. I nod, despite the tight feeling of guilt in my stomach.

"Even if it means killing them," I reply. "I would do _anything_ to live" Kat doesn't look shocked but I can see the concerned look in her eyes. I turn away, hating seeing that look, and I head over to the punching bag. I pull my hair up in a tight ponytail, looking forward to the comforting oblivion that comes with training.

"I know it hurts Maren, but you don't need to pretend with me" she says, her voice filled with sadness. "I know it hurts you to think of killing them. Especially John"

I wince at the mention of his name. Yeah, killing John will hurt the most. He's the only one that stuck by me in the Tour, the only one who really cared about me and what I was going through. His death will be the most despicable and the most painful. Yet, is his life worth more than mine? I don't know. I can't make that decision. All I know is that his life stands in the way of my survival, and I want more than anything to live.

"The thing is," I say slowly, adjusting the punching bag. "It won't be that hard. Not nearly as much as you're saying" I sigh, turning to face her. "They're easy to kill. Stanley is strong, but he gets emotional and cocky, and then he makes bad decisions. Using his own strength against him can easily get him killed" Kat opens her mouth to stop me, but I carry on.

"Marina isn't a great hand to hand fighter. She's good at long range, especially with her bow and arrow, but get within five metres and she's dead. Joseph is so in love with her that he'll do anything to protect her, and I can use that against him" I continue. I don't even feel that bad saying all of this: it is just the truth.

"John is strong and intelligent, but he loves Sarah too much to abandon her. She'll get him killed. She's a good shot, but if there aren't guns, she's deadweight. The two of them will die because of the other" I finish off. Kat watches me, her face sad. Maybe she doesn't like the thought of me being a killer, but that's all I am. Before the Games, I killed animals to survive. In my first Games I killed mogs without a thought to live. And this year, I'll kill Loric to live. It's all about survival of the fittest.

Deep down, my calm and collective attitude about killing terrifies me.

"You don't have to be one of them to win" Kat finally whispers. I laugh, turning away from her and adjusting the punch bag once more. Perfect. I can start training now.

"You of all people know that's not true" I reply coldly. "The _only_ way I can win is to become a killer. And if that's what it takes, then that's what I'll do"

Xxx

**John**

"Here" Henri passes me a cup of tea, his face filled with sympathy. "It'll make you feel better"

I take the mug, the muscles in my arm complaining with the movement. I've been training all day, and after six months of no combat fighting, it hurts like hell. Working in the Chimaera stables hasn't really helped at all, not like I thought it would, and it feels like I've been beaten up multiple times. But it's still better than the mental and emotional pain; thinking of Sarah, and of the other Tributes hurts far more than I feel.

"I don't think anything will make me feel better" I sigh. "But thanks" Henri sits nearby on the sofa, looking a little lost. It must be hard for him too, seeing me go back into the Games, but I can't find it in me to care. At least he's not going to die. At least the love of his life isn't going to be killed either.

"If there was anything I could do, you know I'd do it" he sighs. I nod, but I just don't care. There's nothing he or anyone else can do about this. This was caused by the other tributes and I; I guess it's only fair that we should be the ones suffering.

"Our deaths might at least inspire some uprisings at the very least I suppose" I sigh. "Hopefully"

Henri scowls. "You know, John, I know you're suffering a lot, and I'm sorry for what you're going through, but you need to snap out of this. You've been like this ever since you and Sarah broke up and you need to stop!"

I stare at him incredulously. "What?" I say stupidly. I'm so dumbfounded by his outburst that I don't know what to say. This is unexpected, to say the least.

"You've been in a weird state. You train, but you're not really with it. And you're just feeling sorry for yourself, and already accepting your death! You need to snap out of it and _fight!"_

I start getting angry, and fix him with a glare. "How can you say that? You're not even going in there; you don't know what it's like! Besides, I probably will die, and so will the other tributes from my year! That's the reason for these Games! To kill us!"

Henri shakes his head, scowling. "I know what it's like to see the boy I consider to be like a son being forced to fight his friends," he says. "I know what it's like to see the people I love being hurt or killed" he mutters, still angry. I falter a little, but I'm still angry. Henri has no right to say this to me; I'm still in shock from everything, don't I deserve to feel sorry for myself?

"I'm sorry," I say, genuinely. "But it still changes nothing about how I feel. How can I kill my friends? I can't do it, I just can't," I say softly. Henri sighs, running his hand through his hair in agitation.

"You better get over your self-pity and learn" he says harshly. "Because some of your friends have accepted your death and are preparing for it" I stare at him in confusion, dread clenching in my stomach. He can't be talking about Sarah, can he? She can't honestly be planning my death…can she?

"What?" I whisper. Henri laughs bitterly, his hands clenched in his lap.

"Your _friend_, Maren, has been preparing to win. Which means that you, and the other tributes from your year, will die. So you better start sorting yourself out John, because when Maren is determined to do something, she _will_ do it"

His words hit me hard. Maren has been preparing to kill us? I think of her, of her sharp eyes and determined face. I shouldn't be surprised; she's strong, and deadly, and will do anything for her family. She won't want them to see her die on TV, and she definitely won't want to die herself. I shouldn't be shocked that she's accepted our deaths if she's to survive; I should have anticipated it.

Anger curls in my stomach. So, my _friend_, who I was there for every step of the way has just abandoned me to my fate. Well, I should follow her lead and do the same. She clearly doesn't care about the rest of us. She just wants to live. I fist my hands up into fists, feeling a cold knot of determination forming in my stomach. Well, _I_ want to live too. And if that means her death, then I'll accept that.

"I won't let her" I finally reply. "I won't let her win. Not if it means that I die" Henri smiles but I can tell he's drained. All of this talk of killing friends and the Games must make him feel sick. I would feel the same, but I just feel so numb, as if this is all a bad dream. Maybe it's better to stay that way.

"Just…don't forget who you are," Henri cautions me, as if he hasn't just lectured me on being a fighter. "I don't want you to be like them"

I laugh bitterly, staring down at my mug. It's already too late; I hurt Sarah, but ending things with her so I could win. I've already been training to kill the others and now I've just promised to live. It's too late, and Henri should know that.

"Can't you see though?" I reply. "The only way to survive is to become a killer. That's the beauty of this Games for the mogs. By killing each other to win, we're like the mogs. And what will the Loric think of us then?"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter they're heading to the Capital because I thought that another few chapters on their training is unnecessary. We know they're good fighters and we don't want loads of chapters of their moping haha!**

**Please review! :D **


	22. Chapter 21 - Catching Fire

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the incredible response to the last chapter. It was so nice to see that you all enjoyed it and thank you all so much! I really appreciate it!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **No, I haven't heard of the Lorien Legacies petition for Netflix but it sounds like a good idea, if it was done well, and lots of effort was put into it. However, I'm not sure that it will go ahead.**

**So a final thank you for all the reviews! Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 21 – Catching Fire

Six months later

**Marina**

"The last time I did this journey I thought I was going to be dead within the week" I sigh. "I never even realised just how lucky I was back then," I laugh bitterly, resting my chin on my hands. Adelina watches me from her seat, her brow furrowed in concern.

"None of us did" she replies.

I watch as the ship zooms over Lorien, the fields and towns and forests blurring into a smudge below me. It's much warmer than the journey I took six months ago; the bare, icy lands have become green and the rivers are flowing once more. It would look beautiful if I didn't feel so sick at the sight. Every mile brings me closer to the Capital and the Games I'm not ready for. Until today it had just been a hazy threat, an enemy that I didn't have to face. But now…now I can't avoid it.

The last six months have been hectic. Every waking moment has been filled with training: either physical or mental. Adelina has taught me about every edible plant from every climate, and what to avoid in case it's poisonous. My body has been pushed to the limit with training, but I can safely say that I've mastered the bow and arrow and that I've gained the legacy of super speed. A legacy of which its importance cannot be downplayed in these Games. If I can outrun the others, then I have a chance at surviving longer.

I haven't seen the other tributes during the last six months of preparation. That's probably a good thing though; I don't know what I'd do if I saw Joseph, or Stanley or Maren. I'd probably lose the cool composure that I've built up to protect myself. I don't know how their training has gone, but I can only guess just how good Stanley and Maren are, as well as the other career tributes. Adelina showed me the other tributes in preparation and most of them look terrifying, and far better than me. But I promised Ella I'd fight and never give up. I promised her that I would try so hard to win.

Ella…I shut my eyes, wondering how much she's changed in appearance and personality. I missed her birthday; she's thirteen now, but she may as well be 18 after everything she's been through. I remember when I first met her, the tiny eleven year old, whose life I was determined to save. At least that's one thing I've done successfully; Ella can never be harmed again in the Games. There's no way they can throw her into another arena. I couldn't bear the thought of her fighting against the other tributes, and likely losing. It would kill me.

"We're almost here" Adelina stands up after her communicator makes an annoying, beeping noise. "I'll take you to your dropping point, where you'll be met and taken to your old tribute apartment. Hector and the prep team will meet you there to get you ready for the parade this evening" she says. I nod, standing also, and straightening my clothes. I have to look calm, presentable.

As we walk down to the dropping point, I notice some of the other tributes heading to theirs. I don't recognise any as my friends. Some look as sick as I feel, as if they can't believe that this day has finally come. Here we are, back at the Capital for the usual parade, interviews and training before the Games begin. I want to get the whole charade out of the way and just get to the Games. The dread and tension caused by the build-up is killing me and I'd rather just get on with it, even if I _am_ going to die.

"Here" Adelina unlocks a small door, and pushes me into the waiting room. I can feel the ship starting to slow down and I know we must be at the Training Centre. I forget how quickly this thing can move. "Wait here and someone will come and pick you up"

"Thanks" I whisper. She nods and then reaches out, pulling me in for a hug. I'm shaking, feeling sick inside. I don't want to do this; going back into that Training Centre and preparing for the parade will make the whole thing real. Up until now I could pretend the whole thing was a joke, but today has made it real.

"I'll see you soon" she promises, kissing my forehead softly. There are tears in her eyes, as if she's also realised this is really happening, but she doesn't say anything. She turns, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her, until I'm left alone again.

Xxx

My skin stings painfully as I pull the robe on, my waxed skin hurting after the last few hours of prep. That's one thing I'll never get used to, but I know that I'll have to go through it a few more times before the Games. I have to look beautiful at all times, so that when I die it'll be even more heart wrenching, or that's what the audience thinks anyway. To me, all death is awful. I sigh, wishing that I could rub the makeup off and undo my hair; I don't feel like me. I feel like some painted, composed version of myself whereas inside I'm screaming. I can't go through with this, I really can't.

"Hector will be with you in a moment" one of the prep teams says, as they analyse me. I've been covered in this body spray with a silver metallic sheen, so it looks as though my skin is covered in fine glitter. It looks beautiful, even though I'm not in the mood for this.

"Thanks" I say automatically. They all smile, and laugh, telling me how beautiful I look but I want them to leave. I don't want these people here; they're excited for the Games and my inevitable death. They don't care about me.

They leave soon after and I pick up a piece of fruit, not caring about the instructions not to eat. If I'm going to head into the Games in a few days, I get to eat what I want. I head over to the window, looking at the view of the Capital, chewing on the apple. Nothing has changed, yet everything has. Nothing will ever be the same, even if me and the others die. The mogs must know that…they _must_.

I don't want to see the others later on, but I know that I'll have to. Joseph…I'll see Joseph. The thought hurts more than I thought it would, even after six months. I've never stopped thinking about our final meeting, when he broke down into tears. I can't stop thinking about him in general; how he's doing, what he's feeling, whether he thinks about me? Seeing him again is going to break me, I just know it will. Yet at the same time, I'm desperate to see him, to talk to him. To see his green eyes light up when he laughs, to see his beautiful smile one last time. I bite hard into the apple, trying to distract myself, chewing mechanically.

"Marina" the door opens behind me and Hector enters. His normally happy face is downcast and he looks older, sadder. The apple drops from my hand and falls to the floor. I feel tears flood my eyes when I see him and then I race over, flinging my arms around him.

"I can't do this, Hector, I really can't," I whisper hoarsely. "I can't kill them," Hector doesn't say anything, but he just continues to stroke my hair. After all, what can he say? These Games are hopeless and there's no way I'll win. Not this time. I take a deep breath, trying to control my shaking and my fear, even though I don't have to. I've had to be so strong with Ella, Joseph, then Adelina…Hector is the one person who I don't have to be strong for.

"Come on," he finally says. "Let's get you dressed"

He takes my hand and leads me into the other room, the living room where I used to spend my afternoons with him, talking about meaningless things. Those times are long gone now. I try to control my tears, annoyed with myself for ruining my make up when I ran to him, but Hector doesn't seem to care. He quickly sorts out the mess I made, not saying anything.

"What's the theme?" I ask. "I mean, I assume they're still dong the stupid theme idea for the parades," I sigh. Hector nods, a sad smile on his face.

"Yes, they're still doing it. They love the theatricality" he replies, gently dabbing some of that metallic sheen onto my face. I wonder what the theme must be to have this body paint put on.

"And?" I ask softly. "What is mine?" Hector smiles, taking a step back to admire his handiwork.

"Water again. They thought you suited the theme so much that they let me keep it for you" he replies. I smile but I don't really care. What importance does a theme hold after all? It won't change anything. It might get me some sponsors, but apart from that, it doesn't count for anything.

"But why this?" I ask, holding my arms out, watching them shimmer with the glittery dust. "This doesn't look like water"

"No," Hector agrees. "But what happens when you freeze water? You get ice" he grins at my look, heading over to the dress bag.

Ice. It suits my mood. I feel like I've been frozen and as if a hard hit could shatter me into pieces. As if ice is slowly taking over me, and freezing all of my feelings, leaving me a cold and empty shell. Yet ice is also impossibly strong and deadly too. Maybe Hector's trying to tell me that I can do this; I just have to take it a step at a time. Ice. I like it.

"Here" Hector passes me the dress, a shimmering, glittering heavy thing. I slip it on, grimacing slightly at the weight. It falls down to the floor, and all I can see are glittering diamonds everywhere. It's blinding.

"What did you do to it?" I complain. "It's so heavy," Hector laughs, making a few adjustments.

"There" he guides me to the mirror. "Now, all you need to do is not wave at the audience and you're perfect" I raise my eyebrows at the waving comment, but I stop when I see my reflection.

My hair has been completely scraped back into a high ponytail and paired with the dramatic, sharp make-up I almost look scary. The dress is beautiful of course; it's a long, floor length dress that is practically dripping with diamonds. It looks like I've been covered with tiny splinters of ice and it looks stunning, but alien. Paired with the shimmery body paint, I look angry and cold. I suddenly get what Hector wanted; no more smiling girl in the light blue dresses, no more dresses that ripple like water, no more triumphant Sea Queen theme with the last Games. Hector wants to show me as icy and cold, distant from the audience.

He wants everyone to know just how angry and unforgiving we are.

"It's perfect," I whisper. "Thank you Hector" I feel more tears in my eyes, but this time I refuse to cry. The parade will start soon and I need to look strong, angry, instead of weak and scared. I don't want to be remembered as a snivelling tribute who couldn't handle the pressure.

"You partner will be coming any minute now" Hector fidgets looking nervous. I frown, looking away from the mirror. He almost looks nervous, and I get a feeling of dread in my stomach.

"Partner? You mean for the chariot ride?" I ask. Hector nods, a slight sheen of sweat on his face. I know at once who my partner is; the mogs will do anything to show they're in control after all. They'll do anything to make us pay for what we've done.

"Marina, I think-" Hector begins when there's a knock at the door. He sighs, shaking his head, and heading over to the door. My heart thuds heavily in my chest, and I can feel my fragile control starting to break. I know _exactly_ who my partner is.

Hector opens the door and Joseph stands there with his stylist, looking smart and handsome in his white suit. They didn't put the body glitter on him, it wouldn't really work against his tanned skin, but they did manage to achieve the hard, dramatic look. It shouldn't work, it should look odd, but he manages to pull it off effortlessly. I feel my heart speeding up in my chest, my control waning, as I stare at him. He stares back at me, his green eyes filled with longing and pain.

"Why don't we leave them to it?" I barely hear Hector say to Joseph's stylist. The two leave the room, shutting the door behind us until it's just Joseph and I.

"How have you been?" he asks, his voice hushed, as if this is just a normal conversation. I feel tears in my eyes; it hurts so much to see him. How is it possible to hurt this much?

"Oh Joseph," I whisper, and then I'm walking forwards, throwing my arms around him before my control can take over again and stop me from doing this. Joseph makes a half-sobbing, half-laughing noise and then he wraps his arms around me, strong and secure. I bury my face in his chest, not caring about the make-up, the Games…nothing.

"I've missed you so much" his lips press against my hair and it's heaven. It's so wrong but so right at the same time.

"I've missed you too" I whisper, my arms tight around him. I don't want to ever let go, but I have to at some point. And when that time comes I know it will hurt like hell. It will hurt more than I've hurt in my life, and I don't know if I can handle that. It's too much.

"You look beautiful" Joseph pulls back, his hand gently stroking my cheek as he looks at me again. I laugh, tears forming in my eyes. One manages to escape but he carefully wipes it away, his face warm yet sad.

"It's the make-up and the dress," I whisper, trying not to cry again. "They're fooling you"

Joseph shakes his head. "No. It's not the dress. It's not the make-up either" he smiles, his eyes looking heartbroken. "It's you. _You're_ beautiful. You don't need to dress up to prove that" he says, almost sadly.

I bite my lip, swallowing hard. Joseph looks torn, his face filled with warmth yet pain too. We're still so close and our lips aren't even that far apart. I don't even care about rejection or embarrassment anymore, not like I did once. The Games are a few days away and I've thrown away every chance with Joseph before now. I'm not going to do it again. I move towards him and he leans down and-

The door opens and we jump away at once, both of us flushing and shifting in embarrassment at being caught. I look at the ground, wishing Hector had not walked in just now. He clears his throat, and as I look up, I notice that he's red too, as if he realised what he was interrupting.

"Time to go down and get ready" he says apologetically. I shrug, moving away from Joseph, as if nothing just happened. But really, disappointment races through my body, wishing that we could have just had a few more minutes. It's not a lot to ask: it's just a few minutes.

"Right" I nod, following Hector out of the door, Joseph trailing with his stylist next to him. I avoid looking at his face, longing and embarrassment flooding through me.

I feel cold and shaky as I head down to the chariot. The moment is definitely over and now my mind is clear I realise just what an idiot I was. There went my plan of staying away from him to make the Games easier. _Stupid, that was stupid; _I berate myself. How can I possibly get over Joseph now that we almost just kissed? How can I get over him after everything that just happened?

I know the answer of course. I _can't. _

Xxx

**Maren**

I'm not in the mood to play someone's dress up doll. After the last four hours getting every inch of my skin waxed to death, my hair washed and brushed, my make-up applied, I feel pissed off and ready for a punching bag. I hate my prep team with a passion; hearing them chatter about their excitement over the Games makes me feel sick. They don't even seem to care about my feelings.

Not that I'm terrified of these Games. Sure, I'm not looking forward to them at all; if I had the option, I'd choose to save all of my friends and I, getting us out of these Games no matter what. Unfortunately I don't have that option and we're still very much a part of these Games. But I'm ready. I've trained hard, all day, every day. My hunting skills are very much as strong as they used to be, and I've only gotten better since the first Games. I'm so ready for whatever the Gamemakers and other Tributes throw at me.

I haven't heard much about the others. John's mentor, Henri, used to stop by sometimes, but Kat never said much about his visits. They were private, about business I'm not allowed to know about. All I learnt is that John is doing well in training, very well. Which worries me a lot, since I don't want him to be my main opponent. I don't know if I could kill John; maybe if I had to, but I'd never choose to. If I had the option to save the two of us, I would.

"My muse has returned!" Adrian is already tipsy and I could punch him, but I restrain myself. Yet I can't help the scowl on my face. It's stupid that he's getting drunk when I need him most. He's an emotional wreck, yet he's not even the one being forced to participate in these Games.

"I swear to god, if you put me in some stupid costume, I'll kill you" I threaten. He grins, a blinding white grin. He sets his glass down on the table, gesturing to the dress cover hanging on the wall.

"Why not start early to settle you in?" he chuckles. "Not that I think you'll need to get used to killing. You seem perfectly natural at it" I know he doesn't mean to sound cruel, but it makes me wince. He's just drunk; I shouldn't pay any attention to him.

"So, what's the theme?" I ask, heading over and unzipping the dress cover. I can just see this black material, with a black headdress thing. Adrian smiles, reaching for his glass again, and anger surges through me. I use telekinesis to knock it over so it smashes on the ground, liquid running over the floor. I feel a grim smile on my face, as he swears in annoyance.

"What was that for?" Adrian snaps, a frown on his face. I lift the costume out of the bag, shooting him a glare.

"You're no use to me drunk," I snap back. He looks like he wants to shout at me, but then he smiles calmly, an amused light in his eyes, as if I've done something funny. I can never get used to his mood swings; he's all over the place. Part of me wonders whether that's caused by more than alcohol.

"My sweet Maren, always so gentle" he mocks. I roll my eyes, unfolding the clothes.

"Seriously, what is the theme and what the hell is this?" I frown. Adrian sighs, but comes over to hold the clothes out. It's a long, black jumpsuit made out of this weird material with a black veil-like thing to go over my hair. It looks…well, _boring_.

"Your theme is fire," Adrian says. I raise my eyebrows, looking at the black costume once more.

"So you're going to make me look like burnt food" I roll my eyes. "I guess that's original" Adrian laughs, talking the clothes from me and running his hands lovingly over the glossy material.

"Oh no, it's _much_ better," he grins at me, and I get a weird feeling of dread in my stomach. Oh no. What's going to happen? "Notice how this outfit is fire-proof? We're going to set you on fire"

Xxx

"Are you sure this will work?" I look down at the rock in my hand. I'm absolutely certain that Adrian and his stylist partner, Prya, have gone mad. Setting me on fire? What are they thinking? Yes, the impact will be huge if it works, but it's most likely going to end in me being burnt to death.

"Absolutely" Prya reassures me, probably realising that Adrian is far too tipsy to be sensible and reassuring. "These rocks allow a Garde member to manifest the legacies of another Garde. And in this case, your partner has the ability to set themselves on fire"

"Yeah, but _I _can't control fire" I protest. Prya smiles calmly, adjusting the veil on my hair slightly.

"You don't have to" she says. "John will be the one controlling the Lumen to set you on fire. You just need the part of Lumen that stops you burning to death" she grins at the look on my face.

"It'll be fine, Maren" John says nearby, adjusting his own black headdress. "I'm sure they won't let us burn alive" he grins.

"Easy for you to say" I retort. "_You're_ the one with the legacy," He laughs, looking kind of smug.

"Think of it this way, if you die in the parade then it'll look rebellious. You've outsmarted the system by dying before the arena" he jokes. I roll my eyes, but I can't help but grin. I don't know how he does it, but he manages to make me smile, even when I'm worried for my life.

I feel weird talking to him normally, knowing that in a few days he'll be one of my enemies. He looks good in the black costume that's identical to mine, and I can't help but admit it's so nice to see him again. It's so nice to act as if we won't be forced to kill one another in just under a week's time, to act as if we're still good friends. I think he feels the same way too, because he seems pretty happy considering the circumstances.

"Right, load me up" I toss him the rock, and he takes it, looking a little nervous as he turns it over and over in his hands.

"How do I work this?" he asks. Prya smiles reassuringly, but I'm slightly terrified. I _really_ don't want to burn alive.

"Hold it to your forehead and it's like, channelling a legacy into the rock" she explains. "I'm not really sure, I don't have a legacy," she says apologetically.

"Oh great" I grumble, but they don't listen to me. John holds the rock to his forehead, his face furrowed in concentration. I don't see anything happen but a few moments later he passes the rock to me.

"I think I did it," he says. I stare at him incredulously, feeling ridiculous as I take the rock.

"I _hope_ you did it!" I scowl. "This is ridiculous, do you _want_ me to die?" John grins, but there's a dark look in his eyes. This conversation is getting too similar to reality.

"It'll be fine, Maren, don't worry" Prya reassures me. She takes the rock from me and tucks it into a little pocket on my arm, so it's still pressing against my skin. Apparently that's how it works: contact with the skin is necessary.

The overheard announcement calls for us to get mounted onto the chariots and I take a deep breath, trying to reassure myself. It'll be ok; John can heal. If I'm hurt badly I can suppress the flames with my element element and then he can heal me. It'll be ok. It'll be fine. This outfit will either be the best they've ever seen, or the deadliest. I'm hoping it will be the best.

"John!" we both turn at the voice, and I scowl when I see Sarah. She's dressed in this beautiful gauzy material in a light blue colour, and she looks stunning. John looks a little rapt, but there's definitely pain on his face as well. I wonder whether he's thinking of the first parade we did, when he first met her. Regardless of his feelings, I want to hit Sarah for making his wounds resurface but I don't say anything. This moment isn't mine.

"Good luck out there" she smiles, her eyes sad as she gazes at John. "You look great" she says. Whatever they did to make her look so angelic, I could do with that. It would be nice to get some more sponsors this year.

"You too" he whispers, his eyes haunted. They stare at one another for a long moment, and I fidget, feeling very much like a third wheel. Then she turns and walks away, her shoulders tightened with the strain of trying to be in control and not break down. I frown, mounting my chariot.

"Ignore her. She's just playing on your weakness to make it easier for you to die. She's your enemy, not your girlfriend," I say, harsher than I expect it to be. John joins me, looking shocked by my outburst.

"You don't understand what it's like for us. Besides, she'd never think that" he replies, his voice angry. "Not all of us are finding this as easy as you"

I wince and John's face softens. "Sorry, that was harsh" he admits. "I know you're finding this hard too," he says. He looks apologetic and I feel bad for making him hurt about Sarah. He's such a good person, such a kind, strong person, that I get a lump in my throat. How can anyone kill him? How can anyone kill someone so good?

"No problem" I whisper, my voice husky. "It's nothing but the truth" John opens his mouth to say something but then the trumpets blare and the first chariots start to move forwards. We're one of the last, so I can see the others going ahead of me whilst we wait.

"Remember, only start the fire right before you go outside" Prya coaches, as we wait out turn. I can hear the screaming of the crowd, the beating of the drums, and my heart speeds up rapidly. "And don't smile" she adds. "You're above them all. You're angry. They're nothing to you, so don't smile, don't wave, just stare ahead," she says. I exchange a grin with John, who could never look stern to me.

"Finally, something I'm good at" I laugh. He grins, but I can see him trying to look serious now.

I watch the huge screen by the entrance of the room, showing the remaining tributes the parade outside. Marina and Joseph's chariot has just gone out and the crowd are delighted. I admit, they do look incredible; both dressed in white and with icy glares on their faces. They look perfect together. They must have the same instructions as us because they stare straight ahead, not waving or smiling. Their hands are joined, and I wonder if that's more than just their feelings. I wonder if that's a sign that they won't be controlled by the mogs.

"Showtime" John whispers as our chariot rolls forwards. Just moments ago my heart was beating fast and my hands were sweating with the fear, but it's like a cold calm comes over me. This is the first chance we have to show our anger. I need to make it count.

"Together?" I hold my hand out to him. He stares at me puzzled, but links his hand with mine. His palm is slightly clammy but I don't care. It's understandable.

"I don't know if we can do this," he whispers to me, our chariot approaching the entrance. This is it.

Prya motions something from the side and I know it's time for the fire. John takes a deep breath, and then aims his hands at his feet, letting the material catch fire. I bite my lip impossibly hard as he does the same to mine. I grip his hand so tightly, as fire begins to curl up the material and then races up my body, the fire fast approaching my face. I shut my eyes expecting the pain and heat and-

Nothing. There's nothing. I open my eyes incredulously, staring raptly at John. He looks…well he looks incredible. The flames have framed his face due to the headdress, adding to the dramatic make-up that has been applied, and highlighting the mysterious, deadly look. I can feel the flames dancing across my outfit but I can't feel a thing.

"It's working!" I laugh. John nods, but he looks nervous, as the entrance approaches. The flames are dancing over our bodies, and it looks incredible. I take a deep breath, looking down at our linked hands. The flames dance over our joined hands and it looks beautiful. It looks deadly.

We leave the Training Hall and into the Promenade and the crowd goes wild.

They scream and cheer our names as our chariot races down the promenade, the flames flickering against the dark street. The crowd are going mad for us, and I bet everyone else has been completely forgotten. I catch a look of John and I in one of the many screens dotted around the promenade and my breath is taken away. We look like aliens, fiery aliens that are ready to fight for their planet. We look mysterious and dangerous and beautiful. The crowd throws roses down at us, screaming our names but I stare straight ahead, not fighting the disgust I feel. They're just celebrating our deaths.

I catch a sight of the Temple of Setrakus Ra ahead, where the 'Beloved Leader' will be sat and anger races through me. My disgust turns to hatred and anger, raging in me as hot as the flames on my skin. This is my moment to show my anger, my hatred at him and his mogs. I turn to John, and he looks back, his eyes dancing with flames. It's magical.

"Let's show them," I whisper. I raise our joined hands in the air, and the crowd goes wild at the show. But this is more than a display. This is showing them that they don't own us, that we're still friends and we don't want these Games. We won't go down without a fight. I can imagine Setrakus Ra's face and I grin, a wild triumphant grin. There. Let's see what they make of _that._

"You're enjoying yourself," John whispers quietly. "Stop enjoying yourself, you'll make things worse,"

I ignore him. Our chariot is fast approaching the Temple, but for the first time, I'm not scared of seeing Setrakus Ra. I'm not scared anymore. In fact, I _want_ to meet him. I'll make him pay. It may take weeks, months or even years. But I'll make him pay.

Someone throws a rose at us but I catch it and the crowd goes wild. The fire is still flickering across my skin, but not as much as before. My hands are almost clear from flames and I know they'll go out soon entirely. I look down at the rose, red ironically, and then I hold it against me so the flames catch hold. The rose goes up in flames at once and I toss it away, disinterested. I don't want their gifts, or roses, or smiles.

I want their deaths.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed! **

**Please review! :D**


	23. Chapter 22 - Trust

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love hearing from you all and reading what you say! Thank you all so much!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **TheSpectorPlaywright – I'm glad you like the version of John. I just couldn't bear to write him as whiny and a bit pathetic; it was just too irritating! I definitely prefer his more grown-up and controlled version.**

\- **Eight's weapon of choice is definitely his legacies, although he is quite good with a short sword too. But he relies mostly on his legacies because they're so awesome! John uses a short sword a lot, but tends to use whatever he can get his hands on.**

**Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 22 – Trust

**Stanley**

"Today, you'll be training with the other tributes. This is the one chance you all have at analysing each other's skills and learning their individual skills. But remember, if you want to practice, it's better to do so with an instructor. You'll have plenty of time to fight one another in the arena"

I fidget as I listen to the Head Instructor drone on and on. I know the rules already and I just want to get on with fighting. I look around the room, at the other tributes. Some of them look scared, fragile and I know they'll be the first to die. But most look ready for these Games; six months has been more than enough time to prepare us for these Games. Nearby, the huge guy, Callum, crosses his arms as if to emphasis his muscles, and there's a mean smile on his face. I'm going to have fun fighting him.

"Remember, it's better to learn skills that you haven't practiced before. You don't want the other tributes to know your strengths before the Games," the Head Instructor continues. "Then you can show off your best skills to the Gamemakers in your private test for your score," I zone out again, looking at some of the other tributes.

I'd seen a few of them last night in the parade, but not many. John and Maren had easily knocked us all out of the competition with their outfits, and whilst I was jealous at the time, I'm also glad. Maren didn't disappoint at all; she used the opportunity perfectly to show that we're united against the mogs. Even if we're being forced to kill each other in a few days, people won't forget that. Maren knows that; she's smart.

Sophia stands nearby, her hair cut in a short bob around her face. She's scowling but there's an excited glint in her eyes. It seems like she's ready for these Games too, and I force myself to be wary of her. She's not my friend anymore; she's an enemy and a dangerous one at that. Sandor reminded me over and over that it's the sly, clever ones to watch for, not the ones with brute strength like Callum. And he's right; if there's a shortage of food or water, Sophia will know how to survive and Callum would easily die. Intelligence cannot be beaten.

It's hard though. I still see her as my friend, as my ally. She was there for me when I was struggling with Maddy's death and she was always there to talk to me about my worries. How can I write someone like that off just to save my own life?

"You may begin" The Head Instructor finally says. I sigh in relief, heading over to the edible plants station. Sandor already gave me extensive lessons in this, but I might as well perfect the skill. There's no point in me showing off my fighting skills off, because people will use that against me. It's bad enough that the others will have seen my fighting in my Games, but I don't want to refresh their memories.

I get to work at once, identifying and labelling the correct plants at once. My instructor seems delighted that someone has come to his stall and eagerly points out less known plants that even Sandor never told me about. I move on after a while, heading over to the shelter station. This instructor shows me how to build a shelter by tying two branches together, but it's harder than it looks.

"Mind if I join?" I turn to see Sophia standing nearby, looking small yet deadly in her black uniform. I shrug, turning back to my shelter, even though I'm both excited and wary inside. Sandor's reminder of not getting too close to anyone plays in my mind, but at the same time I don't want Sophia to see me as an enemy. Not yet anyway.

"Sure, but it's not exciting" I reply. She moves beside me, looking at my work. I'm struggling to bend a branch in a certain way, and she reaches out, twisting it expertly. The branch fits into place at once and I grin, tying it down quickly with a rope.

"Nice work" I say. "You know how to make shelters?" I turn to her. She grins, but she looks wary too. It seems that she's unsure of what to think of me too.

"Sure, it's important to know about shelters in the arena. Everyone thinks that fighting is the most important thing, but who cares about fighting when you're going to freeze to death?" she grins. I nod, looking away from her and towards the other tributes. I watch as Callum picks up a spear and throws it towards a dummy thirty metres away. It pierces the heart and rips through the other side of the dummy, clattering to the floor.

"You think that's not important?" I raise an eyebrow at her. Sophia watches Callum, her lips pursed.

"He's got his weaknesses" she shrugs. "Sure, he's strong, but he's stupid. He just thinks these Games are a twist for entertainment. He doesn't realise the full picture"

"And you do?" I ask sceptically. She grins, her teeth flashing in the light. It's unsettling and I know I should go, but I don't want to.

"More than you," she shrugs. She reaches up and fiddles with a silver chain around her neck, the pendant on the end hidden underneath her training clothes. I'm surprised she's even allowed to wear a necklace in training, but everyone is allowed a token from home. Maybe this is hers. I chose not to take one in the end; too many painful memories.

"Well, I'm moving on, I've had enough of this" I shrug, needing to get away from her. I'm getting sucked into our old friendship too quickly, and if there's one thing I learnt from my first Games, it's that being friends with someone in the arena gets you hurt.

"You're not done though," she points out. "You haven't made it waterproof" she nods at my shelter. I sigh, turning back, but there's a part of me that's happy to spend time with her. I can't help it; she's just so interesting and compelling.

"How do I do that?" I sigh. She grins, pointing to a pile of leaves nearby.

"Use those" she chuckles. I roll my eyes, heading for the leaves. She joins me, and shows me how to lay them on top so they overlap each other and don't let any drop of water in. Despite me still being wary of her, it's nice to hang out with her too. It's interesting to talk to her, and see what she knows.

We head over to the water bench after a while, both desperate for a drink. I sit on a nearby bench, her joining me as we watch the other tributes. Marina is stood by the making fire section, expertly creating a flame out of wood. John is learning how to throw axes, although it's clear that this weapon isn't his strength; I wonder if that's his strategy, to make himself look weaker. Maren is using a bow and arrow, easily shooting the targets without hesitating. It takes my breath away at just how good she is, but it makes me worried too. She's going to be one of my main competitors, as much as I hate that thought.

I notice some of the other tributes as well. One of the 'careers' as Sandor calls them expertly throws knives at targets, her knives piercing every dummy perfectly. Another is fighting the instructor with an axe, and I can see the instructor struggling to fight her off. I remember what Sandor said about these ones fighting in entertainment shows for the mogs and I swallow nervously. These guys fight for their living.

"Look" Sophia points towards the balcony with the Gamemakers. They're watching us all, making notes and chatting with one another. I faintly recognise one of them, but I don't know where from. How would I recognise a Gamemaker?

"What?" I try to see what she's pointing at. There's a faint blue glow, and then I realise there's a force field around the balcony, as if to protect the mogs.

"You know, I bet that thing isn't indestructible," she notes. "I bet there's a way to get through the field," I snort, taking a swig from my water bottle.

"You going to go and kill them all as revenge?" I chuckle. She shakes her head, her face concentrated as she takes in the force field.

"Not yet" she replies seriously. I roll my eyes, standing up and stretching. I've had enough of sitting around and learning things. I want to fight. Even though I know Sandor warned me not to, I want a fight.

"Hand to hand?" I ask her. Her face lights up at once and she jumps up, cracking her knuckles.

"You sure you're ready?" she teases me. I grin as we head over to the mats, adrenalin starting to kick in. Not only is this a good way to practice, but I need to know her weakness. I need to know what she's bad at.

And yes, I'll admit, I like spending time with her too.

We stand opposite one another, hands raised but not moving. I can tell she's taking in the situation carefully, and I'm doing the same. I shift slightly and she moves at once, lashing out with a right hook. I dodge at once, lightly stepping away out of her range before she can attack again. She smiles, but it's more of a grimace.

"You're fast," she notes. I grin, but I'm tense, expecting her to distract me.

"So are you," I reply. She laughs, and whilst she's distracted, I lash out for her. She dodges at once but instead of dancing away, she tries to hit back with a kick to my knees. I stumble out of the way, but I'm forced to move closer to her to dodge the shot. She smacks my face with her fist and I stagger back, surprised at her strength. For someone so small, she's strong.

She uses my shock and pain at the hit to strike again, this time aiming for my chest to wind me. I dodge, grabbing her fist in my hand and twisting her arm. She's feather light and I spin her round, knocking her to the ground. She tumbles to the floor but leaps to her feet, barely missing my kick. She lashes out with her hand to my knee, but I jump out of the way, holding my hands in front of my face. I'm panting now, breathing heavily, but I'm grinning. This is the best fight I've had in a while.

"You're good," I note. She's panting too, her teeth bared.

"You're not too bad" she growls, and then she moves. It's so fast that I barely manage to raise my hands to block her fist from driving into my stomach, but I'm knocked back. Her legs sweeps out and knocks my feet from under me. I roll out of the way, winded, and gasping for breath. Sophia moves to pin me, but I move so quickly she doesn't see, and I sweep her feet from under her.

She tries to get up at once, but I grab her arm, flipping her over so she's lying on her back. I try to pin her but she shoots her elbow into my face, hitting my eye. I yell out in pain, moving back at once instinctively, and she hooks her legs with mine, flipping us over and pinning me. I try to punch her at once, try to get her off me, but she dodges and grabs my fist. Her nails dig in viciously, and she slams my arms to the ground.

"One, two, three!" she says quickly. I grimace, about to fight her off, but then relax. She's won.

"Well done," I sigh. She's leaning over me, her face lit up in a grin. Her hair hangs around her face and she actually looks very pretty. I'm surprised at that thought and move so that she gets off before I read too much into my thoughts. _Be distant, don't be friends, _I coach myself.

I know deep down that I'm not listening to my own words.

"You're good," she notes. "You're very good," she laughs, helping me up. I grin, noticing that a few others stopped to watch our fight. I know that Sandor told me not to show off my strength and my fighting but I'm glad they saw it. I want them to see me as a threat.

I want them to be scared of me.

Xxx

**John**

I wipe the sweat away from my forehead, pausing for a break. I've been training hard, using the weapons that Henri and I decided I wasn't as skilled at. We thought it would be a good idea to make it look like I'm weaker and clumsier than the rest, when secretly I'm pretty good with a short sword. We thought the others would underestimate me, and that's a dangerous thing to do in these Games.

I look around the room, noticing the other tributes. Stanley and a survivor from the year before our year, Sophia I think her name is, are fighting one another. It's a close fight; I can't tell who's going to win. I notice Marina and Joseph laughing with one another, but I know it must be a bittersweet moment for them. It's the reason I've avoided Sarah; how can I spend time with her knowing that her death means my survival?

Thinking about Sarah, causes me to look for her. I notice her standing near the throwing knives section, clumsily throwing the daggers towards the dummies, but they're not sticking. I haven't seen her at the gun station, and I know she's hiding her talent from the others. She won't want them to know what she's good at. Seeing her standing there, looking fragile and weak compared to some of the other tributes kills me. I want to be able to protect her, want to save her from this hell, but I can't. I turn away, a sick feeling in my stomach when I see Maren nearby. She's at the fire making section, turning over a piece of wood in her hands.

I head over to her, remembering the parade last night. She had looked impossibly beautiful, wreathed with flames and filled with anger. She's so different from Sarah in every way: Maren is hard, whilst Sarah is soft; Maren is vengeful whilst Sarah is forgiving, Maren is like fire, whilst Sarah…well Sarah isn't. I don't know which mix I prefer. It's important to care and be kind like Sarah, but in the Games that gets you killed. There's a reason that Maren has been able to survive for so long, despite everything thrown at her.

"I thought you'd try to avoid fire after last night" I reach her. She smiles, expertly whittling the wood. I watch as smoke begins to rise and she adds a few dry leaves to the mix, to set them on fire. She's so at home doing this, so comfortable making fires from dry wood. I suppose it's her past kicking in; she used to have to hunt and scrounge for her family almost every day.

"I thought you'd try to make every moment count with Sarah" she replies softly. I wince at that but try to put on a brave face.

"What's the point? We'll still die in the end," I whisper hopelessly. Maren shrugs, gently wafting the tiny sparks to make the fire more powerful.

"We all might," she points out. "But Sarah's one of the most likely to" she adds. I know she's not trying to be mean, but it still hurts and angers me to hear her talk so callously. I know there's no love lost between Sarah and Maren, and she won't find it hard at all to kill the girl that I love. It hurts knowing that one of my closest friends won't bat an eyelid when it comes to killing Sarah.

"And you're clearly so torn up about that" I snap, scowling as I look at the wood. Maren turns to watch me, her face conflicted. She sighs, gesturing with her hand and a strong gust of wind ripples in the area, blowing the fire out.

"Don't be stupid," she replies softly. "Sarah and I aren't best friends, but I don't want her dead. In fact, I kind of like her. She's funny and nice. She's just a liability in these Games. And I don't like people who can endanger my life," she explains, her eyes flashing with something like anger.

"None of us do," I say, not wanting to fight with her. I know I should move away, move on to another station without a friend, like Henri told me to. But I just can't, I don't know why, but I just can't. I like talking to Maren; it's always interesting.

"Will you help her?" Maren looks at me carefully, her face emotionless. "Will you help her like you did in Round 1?" I sigh, looking down at the wood, as if it will give me the answer.

"I don't know" I finally whisper. "I want to…I really want to. But I don't know if I should"

"If I were you", Maren begins, looking down at the burnt wood that is the only remainder of her fire. "I would drop all contact with her. You're in these Games to win and survive, not make a martyr of yourself. You don't want to die just because Sarah can't look after herself in there" she says, almost as if she's trying to persuade me. As if she wants me to live. I sigh, meeting her eyes. It strikes me then just what an unusual colour they are; like steel or stormy clouds.

"But I'm not like you" I whisper. "I can't just switch my emotions off and do what's right for me" I laugh bitterly. "Sometimes I wish I could do that you know. Do what you do. It would make things a hell of a lot easier…but I'm just not like you"

Maren shrugs, her eyes hard. "Well, maybe you should learn to try" she says, her voice hard. "Or you'll be killed"

Xxx

**Marina**

"Where are we going?" I ask as Adelina leads me down a long corridor. We're still in the Tributes Tower part of the Training Centre, but this is a part I've never been before. I wonder if it's for the Mentors to have discussions with sponsors or with each other.

"To a meeting" Adelina replies. I sigh, wishing she'd tell me more than that. After a long day's training, I just want to have a long bath and lie in bed, trying to forget the world. Try to pretend that the Games aren't a few days away. Try to forget talking with Joseph earlier, even though it had been so perfect and easy talking to him, as if nothing had changed at all.

It's weird; sometimes I can cope with the thought of the Games. Sometimes I feel resolved, ready to fight to win. I forget that I'll be fighting my friends, just unknown enemies, and I feel almost confident in my abilities. I can shoot, hunt at a decent level and look after myself. I'll be fine. And then other times, black waves of depression wash over me, convincing me that I can't win these Games. I can't fight as well as Stanley or Maren, can't win sponsors as easily as Joseph's winning personality, and can't win an audience's love as much as Sarah can. And I can't fight or kill my friends, no matter what. It's times like that when I have to remind myself to fight for Ella.

"What's the meeting about?" I ask Adelina. She pauses in front of a normal door, not looking any different from the others in the hallway. Her face is almost nervous, unsure.

"Allies" she replies shortly, and then she opens the door. I follow her, trying to look calm and composed when secretly I'm confused. Especially when I see the familiar faces around the huge conference table in the middle of the room.

John and Maren are sat next to each other, the latter scowling as she looks around the room. Stanley is slouched in his chair, trying to look unconcerned but I can tell he's thinking everything through very carefully. Sarah is perched near to John, shooting looks at Maren every few minutes; it almost looks like she's jealous or something. There are two other tributes who I'm less sure of: a girl with short black hair and a sharp face, and a taller guy, who seems nice enough. He doesn't have any distinguished features and seems to just fit in the background. I make my way to one of the spare seats, wondering what's happening. Adelina makes her way to the head of the table, where the other mentors are sat, all of them wearing frowns.

"We're just waiting for one more" Henri says, ticking something off on a list. We wait around for a few minutes, the tension growing in the room when the door opens and Reynolds and Joseph enter, both looking sheepish.

"Sorry" Reynolds grins cheekily. "We forgot about the meeting" he grins. Henri rolls his eyes, but I can see a smile on his face, as well as on some of the other Mentor's faces, as if this is normal behaviour. Joseph heads over to the remaining empty seat, looking confused. He grins when he sees me and I try to return the smile, but I feel sick. What is going on?

"So," Henri stands up. "It's all clear that you know one another" he begins. "I won't hold back at all: you are all at a disadvantage in these Games" he says. I want to roll my eyes; he didn't need to spell out the obvious.

"Really? Funny that, I thought we were all pretty lucky" it seems Maren doesn't care about holding back her temper like me. Maren's mentor, Katarina, shoots her tribute a look.

"We meant in concern to the other tributes," Katarina says, scowling. "They have all known each other for a few years, whereas you are all the new kids. You're the obvious target to all of them" I sigh, wishing that I could just close my eyes and forget about all this. It's just so exhausting, knowing that all these people want us dead.

"The Career tributes want you dead," Henri continues. "They see many of you as their biggest threat after your victory last year and want you gone as soon as possible" he explains. Stanley crosses his arms, not looking happy at all.

"So what do we do? Hide and hope for mercy?" his voice drips with sarcasm. It seems that all of us here today are fed up with these Games and the alliances, and politics surrounding it.

"No" Henri smiles, but I can tell he's getting annoyed. "We" he gestures to the other mentors. "We thought that the careers could do with some competition. In the form of another career pack"

He lets that sink in and I can see the different reactions on people's faces. Sarah seems almost happy, and I can understand why. If she's in a pack, she has a greater chance at survival. Maren looks like she's about to refuse and Stanley looks similar. A few others are just indistinguishable: Sophia just purses her lips, clearly thinking the idea through. I don't know what to make of it either; it would be great to have the support from the others, but then if we kill all of the other opponents, then that means we'll _have_ to kill our friends and former allies. I can't do that.

"It's a stupid idea," Maren snaps. "When we're the only ones left we'll have to kill each other" she sweeps her hand around the table. "That means that your future killer is your former ally and could be sat right here" her eyes are piercing and I shift uncomfortably. She's right, and everyone knows it.

"We're not saying you ally up for the whole Games until you're the only ones left standing" Katarina explains calmly. "We just think it's a good plan until the career pack, your main threat, is out of the way. Then feel free to split and do whatever you want," she elaborates. I frown; it's a better idea, but still risky. I'd still prefer to be killed by someone I don't know than one of my former friends.

"Of course you don't have to do this at all," Henri explains. "We understand that the thought of teaming up with and then being forced to kill one of your friends is an impossible thought" he says, his voice filled with sympathy. "We just thought that this might be a good idea" he says softly, his eyes filled with something like defeat.

"Well I'm out" Maren stands up at once. "I think it's stupid. I'm not going to be forced to kill my friends when I know others can do it" I wince at her words and her sharp tone, but I understand what she means. And it shows that deep down she does care for us. She doesn't want to be the one to kill us. She marches out of the room, slamming the door behind us.

"Me too" Stanley stands up, his face scrunched up in a scowl. "I don't want to kill any of you guys" he looks around at us all, his eyes pausing on Sophia. "I won't do it," he repeats, his voice strained. He turns and leaves the room just as Maren had, but I'm too shocked to do anything. I'd never Stanley seem so lost, so hurt at the thought of killing us. He's never really been the sentimental type, but it seems even he is moved by everything.

"Yeah, I agree" John stands up, his face filled with grief as he looks over us all. One by one the others stand up and leave the room. John then Sarah then Sophia and then Joseph and then finally Marcus. It seems none of them can bear the thought of killing each other when the main threats are dead, even if allying up means our best chance at survival.

"We'll talk to them" Katarina sighs, as Henri puts his head in his hands. I'm the only tribute left, and most of the mentors have followed their tributes, maybe to change their mind. "We'll make them see the truth" she pats his back almost awkwardly, and he smiles, sharing a look with her. I suddenly feel like I'm interrupting something, or they know something I don't. Adelina looks the same because she stands up, gesturing for me to follow.

"Come on Marina, let's get back to your room" she smiles, but I can see the anxiety on her face. I follow her at once, glad to leave the room and the tension behind. We silently walk back to our rooms, but my head is spinning. What exactly is going on with the mentors? They wanted us to ally up for a reason, and I can't help but wonder why. Maybe they do genuinely want us to survive as long as possible, or maybe there's more to it.

"Do you trust me?" Adelina asks suddenly as we approach my room. I stare at her in shock, noting the frown on her face. Do I trust her? She's let me down again and again, not been very supportive, and I've had to fight to get her to help me. I know I shouldn't trust her…but I do.

"Yes," I say with certainty. I see a tiny smile on her face as she unlocks the door to my rooms, apparently more relaxed.

"Then trust in what we're doing," she says. I nod, not really sure what's she's playing at here, but I know that it's important.

"Ok" I reply. "I'll do whatever it is you want me to do" I see her relax, as she lets me into the rooms. I can see she's still worried, still nervous about something, but she seems happy to know that I'll trust her, no matter what. I settle down on the sofa, desperate just to go to sleep. I want to forget, and the meeting has just made that feeling stronger.

"Before you go to bed, I have something for you" Adelina heads over to a box on the side, opening it up and lifting out a small pendant. She brings it over and hands it to me, pressing it into my hand. It's a long silver chain, with a round, blue pendant on the end, and on the pendant is a silver pattern. It's like three strands of beads that create a swirling pattern; it's beautiful. I look up at Adelina, tears in my eyes at this gift.

"What's this for?" I ask softly. She smiles, a sad look in her eyes.

"It's a token…everyone is allowed one in the arena," she replies. She reaches out and takes my hand, her voice turning determined. "I want you to see this token as an extension of me. It's a sign of our trust, of_ your_ trust in me," she says. I frown in confusion, looking down at the blue pendant.

"This pendant will remind you of your trust in me," Adelina continues. "Promise me, _promise me_, that you'll never forget this," she says, her voice urgent. I nod at once, my thumb tracing the beautiful silver pattern.

"Of course" I lift it over my head and it falls around my neck, settling comfortably on my chest bone. "Of course I won't forget"

* * *

**So, what do you think of the plan to ally up? Will it go ahead? Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	24. Chapter 23 - Final Secret Revealed

**Disclaimer - I don't own LL or HG.**

**Hi guys!**

**Sorry for the later update, WiFi went down so I couldn't update yesterday but it's back up and running again today :D **

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews, I love hearing them all and I appreciate them all so much. I can't believe that people are still supporting and reading this story and thank you!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Guest – This might very well be the start of Jix….you'll have to see :D**

\- **Martanakin – Great guesses! I won't say which ones are correct but you've got a few…**

**Hope you enjoy! Please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 23 – Final Secret Revealed

**Adam**

I stare at the map on the table, the lines and words blurring in front of my eyes. The steady ticking of the clock on my office wall is slowly starting to drive me insane, and I want more than anything to break it, to stop it's endless noise. The ticking reminds me of the slowly approaching Games, and the deaths of Hannah's friends that I'll be causing.

_Take a break, _Hannah advises me, leaning on the desk next to me. _You look exhausted._

"I'm fine," I say shortly, running my hands through my hair. She's been worried about me lately and has been nicer than normal. Ever since I started my job six months ago, I've been feeling the pressure. It's hard when I make a suggestion that pleases the mogs, because I know it will hurt Hannah's feelings and get a Loric killed. It's hard hearing Ivan and my father's plans to destroy the small uprisings all over Lorien, and it's insufferable having to play a role all day every day. I feel like I'm near breaking point.

_You don't have to do this right now; _Hannah tries again. _Everything's ready for the Games. The arena, the traps…everything. _I can tell she's trying to hide her disgust to make me feel better but it doesn't work.

"I still have to write a report on their training," I remind her. "And we're watching their tests tomorrow so I have to make sure it's done by then" I sigh, rubbing my temples. Hannah watches me, her sympathy washing over me.

_Fine, I'll leave you to it, _she gives up, moving away from me. I turn to make sure she's still here, and not doing one of her mysterious disappearances.

They've become more and more common, but they still manage to scare me every time. One minute she's there, and then the next minute she's gone without a trace. Her disappearances are getting longer too, and even though we try to write them off as a moment of much-needed separation, I know that this is more serious. What if Hannah is losing her power? What if she leaves me forever?

I can't bear the thought of her leaving me. She's the only reason I've got through everything; her support is vital. She helps calm me down when I'm in a blind rage after the Gamemakers' meetings about killing Loric, and she's always there to make me feel better after I feel like I'm just as bad as Ivan or my father. If I don't have Hannah, I don't know what I'm going to do.

A knock on my door distracts my moping; it's different from the hard raps I'm used to by the other Gamemakers. I push my chair back, curious and worried at the same time. I'm still terrified about being discovered by my father or by Ivan, even though I know they have far bigger things to worry about. I head over to the door, opening it carefully.

"What can I do for you?" I say automatically, stumbling to a stop when I see who it is. It's not one of the other Gamemakers, or Claudius Turnus. It's one of the Mentors, Henri. I only know him because it's essential we know everyone who plays a role in the Games. He stands by the door nervously, his eyes flitting around, even though he is allowed here.

"Gamemaker Adamus Sutekh?" he asks nervously, his hands twisting together. He doesn't look like the kind of man to be nervous usually but today he looks worried. I can feel recognition from Hannah, as well as dread. She's distancing herself from me but I don't have time to figure out why.

"Yes?" I say, wondering what's going on. Henri nods, looking up and down the corridor again.

"I was wondering if you'd meet my daughter," Henri says, his eyes urgent. "She wants to become a Mentor like me and I thought it would be interesting for her if she met a Gamemaker. I thought since you were the newest member, you would have time to spare"

I don't trust him at once. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a daughter from what I remember about him, and if he did, I'm sure he'd never encourage her into his profession. But then if this is a lie, what does he want? I don't know if I can risk going with him seeing as his tribute is one of Hannah's friends, and will most likely have a grudge against the Gamemakers. I'm about to wave him off and head back to my office when Hannah weighs in, her voice urgent.

_Go with him, this is important, _she insists. I frown, but then nod, knowing that I can always trust Hannah. Henri relaxes a tiny bit, but his eyes still flicker around nervously.

"Thank you," he says. "She'll be so grateful" We begin to walk down the corridor to the Tributes' section, and I watch him out of the corner of my eye. He doesn't seem like he's going to carry out an act of murderous vengeance but what does he want? What is going on? And what does Hannah know?

_What aren't you telling me? _I ask her, hurt and anger in my voice. _Are you hiding something from me?_

Hannah doesn't reply, but I can sense her withdrawing further from me. I bite my lip, taking a deep breath as I follow Henri. His face is still strained with tension, but I can sense his relief that I decided to follow him. I'm still wary, still confused, but knowing that this is what Hannah wants reassures me a little. She'd never make me do something that would kill me…would she?

"How old is your daughter?" I ask casually, in case mogs wandering by wonder what we're doing.

"Just turned seventeen," he says, a smile on his face. "She's very determined, and desperate for this chance" he says carefully. "She doesn't resemble me at all though…you'll see when we get there," he laughs, but I can sense the tension. I frown in confusion, but don't say anything.

It doesn't take long to get to the Tributes' tower, and Henri expertly leads me down the twisting corridors and hallways to get to his room. I wonder how many times he's walked these corridors, wondering what will happen to his tribute. I wonder how he's managed to cope all these years. I can barely handle six months, let alone fifteen years.

"She's in my tribute's rooms. He's training at the moment so he won't disturb us" Henri explains, leading me to the front entrance of his tribute's apartments. I nod, bracing myself for this meeting. I have no idea what's going to happen, but I'm pretty sure that it's nothing to do with his 'daughter'.

"Here we go" Henri smiles tightly, opening the door and ushering me in. At first I'm taken in by the luxury and opulence of the apartment: the lush fittings and furniture, the huge windows and beautiful décor. But then I notice the girl in the centre of the room, watching me carefully. I try not to gasp in recognition, but I know who she is at once.

It's Hannah's younger sister, Alicia.

Hannah reacts at once when she sees her sister. It takes all of my control to wrestle Hannah back in my mind, to stop her controlling my body and racing over to hug Alicia. They have no idea that Hannah is still alive and in my mind, but Hannah just doesn't care. She's crying and laughing, both delighted and devastated at seeing her sister. She wants nothing more than to hold her sister close, something she hasn't been able to do in years and will never be able to do again.

_Alicia! It's Alicia! _She sobs, as if to persuade me to do something. I remain standing by the door as Henri locks it behind me, taking in Alicia.

She looks like Hannah, but also very different. Whilst Hannah is blonde and sarcastic, with a flirtatious smile, Alicia has dark hair and her face is serious. Hannah would always wear clothes that would show off her looks and figure, but it seems Alicia is far more practical. She's wearing black cargo trousers and a jacket, as well as combat boots. She looks like she's had a serious trek to get here, and considering she came all the way from Kappita I wouldn't be surprised.

"This is him?" she asks Henri. Her voice is very similar to Hannah's but there's no humour in it. I can feel Hannah's pain as she remembers the little girl she left behind, the one who would smile and laugh easily, compared to this cold one in front of me. It wasn't even that long ago that Hannah had to leave Alicia, but she's changed so much after seeing her sister die in the Games. I know that to Hannah this is just another thing that my people have to pay for.

"Yes" Henri nods. "This is the one" he walks so he's stood next to Alicia, his face stern.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, but they ignore me. Alicia's lips are pursed, her eyes cold as she appraises me.

"I can't believe my sister would choose _him" _she scowls. "He's far too weak to do anything" I blush at the insult but don't say anything. I don't want to cause any trouble.

"He's smart," Henri shrugs. "Which is probably why Hannah chose him"

_What are they talking about? _I ask Hannah, threads of disbelief trickling through me. _How do they know you chose me?_

Hannah stays silent, but I can feel her guilt. Henri and Alicia are still watching me, but I don't care. I can't help but think about their words, 'why Hannah chose him'. What do they know? They must know something…dread and fear begins to plague me, but I try to remain calm.

"What are you talking about?" I'm glad my voice sounds strong because I'm a mess inside. Alicia narrows her eyes at my voice but doesn't say anything; it seems she's going to let Henri explain this all to me.

"We know that Hannah showed you her memories in Round 1 to change your mind about us," Henri says softly, as if to ward a blow. I shake my head at once, feeling betrayed by Hannah and nervous, knowing there's more to come.

"You're wrong, I don't know what you're talking about" I say, trying to hide my fear. They can't know I'm a traitor or I'm dead.

"Hannah told her mentor, Hilde, who told me," Henri says softly. I wince, betrayal racing through me. Hannah betrayed me. She told someone about me and her…what else did she tell them? "She told Hilde in the run up to Round 2 and 3 that she had changed you and that you are on our side," Henri says softly. His face is stern but his eyes are kind, as if he can see how much this is hurting me.

"So what?" I ask weakly. Alicia scowls, taking a step forward.

"It wasn't her idea, stupid," she snaps. Henri shoots her a look as if to stop her, but she carries on, not bothered by him. "She was a part of the Resistance, ever since Wade died. They told her to do it. They wanted to experiment and see if mogs could be changed, and she was the perfect candidate since she was chosen and had the right legacies. She decided you would be her target"

My head is spinning as I take this overload of information in. I shake my head, tears burning in my eyes. Hannah is hiding in a corner, tears streaking down her face, guilt and shame emanating from her but I don't listen. It was all a lie. Hannah never worked alone; she was just doing as she was told. I was never special, never different like she'd told me. She was just using me as an experiment. But worst of all, she never told me. Not even now, when she's the only one I can trust, she never told me anything. Never told me about this Resistance, never told me that she was one of them.

_I'm sorry, _she whispers, looking at me helplessly. _I didn't know what to say._

_Well you should have said _something_!_ I snap back, breathing heavily. I rub my forehead, trying to come to terms with everything but I feel like the ground beneath my feet is giving way.

"She never told me," I whisper. Henri shakes his head, watching me closely.

"It was too dangerous. If you couldn't be changed, then she would have to erase your memories entirely. She had the power to do it" I want to scream at Hannah for the constant lies and hiding facts from me, but I just feel too fragile. It seems like I barely know Hannah after all.

"And how do you know that it's worked?" I ask weakly. Alicia smiles, her teeth flashing dangerously in the light. It's scary how similar yet different from Hannah she is. One moment she's the copy of her sister and then the next moment, she's completely different. It unsettles me to see her looking so alive when her sister's ghostly form is hunched in the corner, crying.

"One of our insiders has been reading your mind since Round 1 to make sure you're on our side. You never knew, it was brilliant!" she beams. "After seeing what you've been thinking, it's obvious what you are. If you're not a traitor, then I'm not Loric," she laughs.

I wince again, feeling shaky and sick. Someone's been reading my mind, keeping tabs on me. Hannah lied to me at the very beginning. But it also seems that someone hasn't told Alicia and Henri that Hannah is still alive in my mind. I have no idea why they wouldn't tell them that. It's the ultimate proof.

_I'm sorry, _Hannah whispers. _I just…You had to know I was working alone at the beginning because if you knew the whole truth you'd tell someone._

_But why didn't you tell me after the Games? When I was your friend?_ I beg, the world practically spinning around me. I want to sit down, forget this whole conversation and go back to the sanctuary of my study with its maps and charts.

_I was scared you'd hate me, _Hannah finally whispers. _I was scared you'd never be my friend again. And I need you Adam. You're my only friend. _I wince at her fragile state and block her out, knowing I'll give into her in seconds if I continue to listen.

"So you work with the Resistance?" I ask, feeling distant. Until today I hadn't even known there was a fully formed, functional Resistance group but it appears there is. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Henri nods cautiously, still apparently wary, but Alicia doesn't seem too concerned. I guess someone reading my mind for over a year is good solid proof to her.

"I guess then that you want me to do something for you" I sigh, rubbing my forehead. I'm not happy that Hannah lied to me, and I feel sick seeing Alicia, knowing that her dead sister is trapped inside my head. It feels so wrong to see this similar version of Hannah very much alive and well in front of me. But it doesn't stop me wanting to help the Loric at all costs.

"We were hoping you'd say that" Henri smiles, relaxing more as he settles down on a chair. "But first we have to be sure that we can trust you"

Xxx

**John**

I ride the elevator down to the Training Hall on the bottom floor of the Tributes' Tower, the floors of the Training centre blurring past the window at the speed. It's the second day of training and despite tomorrow being my last chance to practice for the Games, I don't feel as wound up as I thought I would. I guess I've still got a few more days until the Games.

The schedule is slightly different this year for the build-up. The interviews took place before the training last year, but this time everything is different. We have our interviews the night before the Games this time round and I wonder if it's to elevate the atmosphere. To be honest, I don't even care that much about the interviews or the test for our training scores. I just want to get into the Games and start the fight for my life.

The elevator comes to a stop and I step out, taking in the large training hall. I can see that half of the tributes haven't even turned up today, as if training isn't that important for them. I wonder if they're training in their rooms so they can practice what they're good at without the rest of us looking in. It's not a bad idea but I'm already here now and it would look odd turning back. I don't want to look like a coward.

I head over the bow and arrow section, knowing that I'm not very good with this particular weapon. But it's empty and I don't want to have to socialise with anyone, either with old friends or the other tributes that I don't know. I grab a bow from the stand, pulling the bowstring back and wincing slightly at the resistance. I definitely don't enjoy using this weapon at all. I reach for a nearby arrow, placing it against the bowstring and loosing it. The arrow thuds into the target at least, but it's nowhere near bulls-eye. I suppose at least it hit the target.

"Nice shot" my heart jumps at Sarah's voice, and I try to remain casual as she joins me. In truth, my heart is thudding frantically in my chest when I see her and it takes all of my control to smile at her. Seeing her after so long still hurts as painfully as it did when we first broke up. Seeing her in front of me reminds me of how much I miss her.

"Thanks" I smile. "But I'm nowhere near as good as some of the others" I shrug, placing the bow and arrow down self-consciously.

Sarah watches my every move, her blue eyes filled with something like sadness, but I can't tell, not like I used to once. She looks as beautiful as ever, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Somehow she manages to make the awful training clothes look good and it's a weird mixture of happiness and pain to see her. I want to talk to her, yet I know I have to ignore her, just like Henri told me to. How else will I cope with these Games?

"Well, Maren has always been aggressive, hasn't she?" Sarah's voice has an edge to it that I've never heard before, but I ignore it. She must be worried about facing Maren in the arena and I don't blame her.

"That's just Maren" I shrug, smiling despite myself. "She's never the friendliest of people," I laugh. Sarah frowns, her lips pursed. I've never seen her look so stern before and it really doesn't suit her. My smile drops and I feel like I've done something wrong, but I don't know what.

"For someone who's so unfriendly, the two of you were getting on very well yesterday," she notes, the edge in her voice even stronger. It hits me then that she must be jealous. I've spent more time with Maren than with her and I wonder if she feels like I've moved on. If only she knew that the truth was the opposite.

"Well in a week's time we'll be enemies, so you don't need to worry" my voice unintentionally has the same edge to it and Sarah frowns more, her eyes flashing with something like anger. I feel uncomfortable and want to leave, to move away from this station. I feel unsettled and hurt after meeting Sarah like this. We're acting like strangers when we're both in love with each other. Or we used to be anyway. I don't know how she still feels.

"I'm not worried" Sarah shrugs, crossing her arms. "Just curious" she scowls, looking at the ground. I want to reach out, ask her how her training has been going and how she's been doing, but I feel so distant from her. Besides, maybe it's better to be on cold terms with her than warm terms. Then it would be even harder to say goodbye.

"I hope everything's been all right with you," I say softly. She looks up, her eyes hurt and I want to reach out and pull her to me. But I can't.

"It's not been so bad" she replies, her voice quiet. "And you?" I laugh bitterly, looking away from her beautiful face.

"It's been awful," I say truthfully. She looks like she wants to say something, but then she shuts her mouth, as if unsure. I wonder if she's trying to be distant too but we can't help but be drawn to one another. I can't _not_ love her.

"Well, good luck with the training" I say, my tone polite, distant. "I'll see you around" I add. She nods, biting her lip, as tears fill her eyes. That breaks me even more but I strengthen my resolve and I turn, heading away from her. It feels like my heart shatters into a million pieces but I know it was the right thing to do.

After all, there can only be one survivor.

Xxx

"How are you holding up?" Sam asks, perched on the end of the sofa. He hasn't changed at all; nerdy glasses, t-shirt with logon on and magazines strewn all over the room. Whilst he's the same as ever, I feel like a completely new person and I'm not even sure if I like this new personality. I sigh, putting my head in my hands.

"Terribly" I admit. "I met up with Sarah earlier and it was awful" I sigh. Sam pats my back awkwardly, apparently unsure of how to deal with this.

"Why?" he asks gently. I look up, smiling ruefully at his attempt at concern. Sam and I aren't great at the whole guy chat about girls. It's better talking to Henri about it, but I needed to come and see Sam one last time before the Games.

"She was angry with me because I've been hanging out with Maren" I tell him. Sam's eyebrows rise slightly but he doesn't say anything. "It was like she was jealous or something"

"Maybe she was," Sam replies. "After all, Maren is pretty and Sarah still loves you. She's going to be jealous of any girl that hangs around with you, especially one like Maren" he replies. I nod, knowing that he's right. It's weird to think that Sarah could be jealous but then love makes you do stupid stuff.

"It's just…I never wanted us to be as distant and cold as we were today" I admit. "It was so wrong, Sam, it just felt so wrong. We should never have been so distant but it was like we had nothing to say to one another…we were just angry," I shake my head, as if to dispel the thoughts. Sam looks at me in sympathy, his glasses wonky on his nose.

"Things will get better I'm sure" Sam promises me. "You two still love each other. It'll be awkward for a bit but then you two will make up" he rubs my back. "It'll be ok" I shake my head, standing up and shoving my hands in my pockets. I feel in turmoil, not sure what to think or to feel. I know it's better that I'm distant from Sarah, but it feels awful, like my heart is breaking constantly.

"You don't get it, Sam," I say gently. "It's not like we can get together again. We're going to be fighting against each other in a few days time. We'll never be able to be together again, _never"_ I sigh blinking back the tears in my eyes.

"But you still love each other" Sam says weakly. I laugh bitterly, staring outside the window at the fading sun.

"I know" I shake my head. "That's what makes this whole situation so rubbish. I love her but I can't be with her. And in a few days time we'll both probably be dead"

Xxx

**Marina**

Ella looks older than I remember her looking. She's grown taller and has lost some of the baby fat that all kids have. Her red hair is longer, cut past her shoulders and it makes her look more mature. She looks older than I remember and I hate it. She still resembles the little girl I first met in the Training Village, but so much has changed. She's faced so much and had to deal with so much and it's obvious to see on her face.

"You look older" I smile, as I gently tuck some hair behind her ear. I came to see her after training and after the first few initial hugs and tears, we've both calmed down enough to talk. Ella smiles, the gap in her teeth smaller than I remember it being. Nostalgia rushes though me, and I long for a time when she was still a kid and we were safer than now.

"In a good way?" she asks hopefully. I nod, feeling conflicted. I still feel so protective over her yet at the same time, I can't be. I won't be in her life for much longer and she'll have to look after herself from now on. The thought makes me feel sick; she's too young and should be living a worry-free childhood, not watching her friends die.

"Absolutely" I try to hide my inner torment but lightly tapping her nose. "When you're as old as I am you're going to be a heartbreaker," I laugh. Ella giggles, blushing heavily, and I'm pleased that I've at least cheered her up slightly.

"As long as I marry Stanley I don't care what I look like," she beams. I smile; it's impossible not to find her funny. I'd forgotten all about her hero-style crush on Stanley, but my smile soon fades. How is she going to react if he dies? It'll kill her. It'll kill her when both he and I die and all she has is Crayton, who will then have to leave to train another tribute. She'll be left all alone and the thought almost breaks me.

"Don't be sad," she notices my change of mood, reaching out to clasp my hands in hers. "Everything will be all right. They always are in the end," I nod, swallowing hard. I don't want to share my fears and doubts with her. She's got enough to deal with and I don't want her last memories of me to be filled with pain. I want her to remember us laughing together, being happy. But it's so hard to be composed when I feel like my heart is breaking.

"I'm not sad" I reply, mustering up a smile. I can't be sad now, not when she's here. "I just…I want to make sure that you're happy. That everything is going ok for you," I ask her. She nods, but I can tell something is worrying her.

"Everything's fine" she shrugs. "Papa and I have been working together sometimes and he's going to try to get me a job in the hospital, like you had" she beams. I smile, gently squeezing her hand and ignoring the pang of pain. This is the last time I see her and I need to be happy, but it's so hard. It's just so hard when all I can think of is the time that we were partners in Round 1, when we would draw together in the Village all those months ago before the first Games.

"You'll be a great doctor," I tell her. "You'll have loads of fun too" she nods, but she still looks troubled. I gently squeeze her hand, raising an eyebrow.

"Something is bothering you," I notice. She sighs, looking down at the sofa, playing with the fringe of the blanket thrown over.

"Cody keeps visiting me," she finally whispers. I stiffen at once, but try to appear calm for Ella's sake. She can't know how much I hate him and more importantly, she can't know why. I don't want her to lose faith in her race as well as everything else in this world.

"What does he want?" I ask softly, my voice sounding dangerous. Ella's eyes flit up to meet mine in curiosity at the tone of my voice.

"I don't know. It's like he wants to recruit me or something. I don't know what for though. But I don't listen long enough to find out, I always send him away," she replies. I can tell she's hiding something more from me but I know that she won't spill, not now, not when I have so much to worry about. I sigh, trying to force a smile on my face when deep down I'm worried. Ella needs me more than ever to protect her from Cody, but I can't do it.

"Stay away from him," I say as gently as I can. "I don't trust him, not after the Tour" I shrug, as if it's no big deal. Ella nods, but there's a light in her eyes that tells me she doesn't believe what I'm saying. I open my mouth to try to persuade her but she jumps in, changing the subject.

"I haven't had any more legacies though. Papa said they take time and I shouldn't be worried, but I want mine now. I want to practice them," she says, frowning. I want to steer the conversation back to Cody but I know Ella doesn't want to talk about that. I make a mental note to talk to Adelina about it later. Maybe she can do what I can't.

"You'll get some soon" I promise her, trying to focus on the current topic. "Legacies always come when you need them, not when you want them. They're annoying like that" I grin, nudging her. She giggles, squirming closer to me and resting her head on my shoulder. Her hair tickles my chin and I close my eyes, smelling her familiar scent. We could almost be hiding in the trees in Round 1, tucked up in the sleeping bag together.

"I want to heal like you," she whispers. "That would be so cool. I wish I could be like you," she whispers. I smile, but tears well up in my eyes. I'm glad she can't see because it's hard to remain composed.

"Maybe one day you will" I whisper, kissing her hair. Ella pulls away, her eyes looking over me. I bite my lip, willing away the tears in my eyes but she knows. She knows me too well to not notice my pain.

"It'll be ok Marina," she whispers. "You'll survive and then come back here and we'll be together again. We can draw together like we used to," she says, so confident in my ability to win. Like all younger sisters, she sees me as this invincible person, but I'm not. Or maybe she's lying to make me feel better.

"I might not, El," I say gently. "I want to, I so want to, but I may not" She shakes her head at once, her face shining with her confidence in me.

"You will" she says, her voice certain. "You're strong and brave. And you always look out for me. Papa said if there's one thing that will keep you going, it's to look out for me. That's what makes you such a good sister," she says softly. A tear rolls down my cheek and I look down at the cover, my breathing unsteady.

"El, I may not make it. Not because I don't want to fight to be with you, but because there are people that are simply better than me. You need to know the truth" I look up, meeting her eyes. "I will try my absolute hardest to fight for you," I tell her earnestly. "But it may not be enough…do you understand? If I don't make it, it's never because I didn't try," Ella nods, tears in her eyes too, and that breaks me. I reach out, pulling her into my arms as she sobs into my neck.

"I don't want you to leave me," she sobs. "I don't want to lose you" Tears streak down my cheeks as I stroke her hair.

"I'll try not to" I whisper. "I'll try so hard to make you proud" I promise her. She nods, still crying, but she's starting to calm down. I bet she's needed this for a while; I guess she's needed to cry. Emotional outlets are always helpful.

"You always make me proud" she whispers. I smile, brushing her hair back from her face as I gently wipe away her tears.

"And you always make me proud" I soothe her. "You're the best little sister anyone could ever wish for" I tell her. She smiles, her eyes still red and wet, but I can tell I've cheered her up a little. I catch a glimpse of the clock, my stomach churning when I realise I have to go.

"I have to go now," I tell her, swallowing hard. Ella nods, fresh tears in her eyes, but she's trying to be brave. Pride wells up in me and I gently stroke her hair, wishing I could stay and protect her. Wishing I could comfort her and be there for her.

"You can do it" Ella says softly, blinking to hold back the tears. "I know you can" I smile, but inside it's taking all of my control to fight back my pain and grief. I kiss her forehead, standing up and heading for the door. Ella follows me, her hand still in mine.

"I'll fight to win," I promise her. "I'll do my best to fight so we can be together again," I add. She nods, reaching out for one last hug. I hold her close, fighting back the tears that are threatening to spill from my eyes. I have to leave her to protect herself; I have to leave her all alone, but I don't want to. I close my eyes, breathing in her scent one last time before pulling away. Ella looks like she's struggling to hold herself together and I brush her cheek softly, breathing unsteadily.

"I have something for you," I whisper. I pull the letter for her that I wrote earlier from my jacket pocket and press it into her hand. "Only read this if I don't make it," I say, my voice shaking. "Every word is the truth. I love you," I whisper. I kiss her forehead one last time, as the tears slip down her cheeks. I turn, opening the door as quickly as possible. I need to leave before I break down in front of her.

"I love you too" Ella calls as I leave the room. I smile weakly, raising my hand in a small wave, before the door slams behind me.

I burst into tears the minute I'm alone, the tears spilling from my eyes. I wipe my cheeks but the tears refuse to stop as I head unsteadily to my room. I hear footsteps behind me, and I try to quieten my sobbing but it's so hard. I'll never see Ella again. I'll never see her again and she'll be here, all alone. The thought makes me cry harder, even when someone gently grabs a hold of my arm and pulls me to a stop.

"Marina?" I barely make out Adelina through my tears. I wonder if she came to find me. "Are you ok?" her voice is urgent. I shake my head, the tears making it hard to see her. I can feel her hand on my am, warm and secure.

"I had to say goodbye" I sob, my voice hysterical. "I had to say goodbye to her!" I feel her gaze on my face and then she pulls me into her arms, her arms wrapping around me tightly. I cling to her, not wanting to let go. I can't lose someone else…it'll kill me.

"I know" Adelina kisses my hair, her voice pained. "I understand"

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	25. Chapter 24 - Tests

**Disclaimer – I don't own LL or HG.**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I really appreciate that you've been sticking with the story since the beginning so a huge thank you! **

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **TheAdventuresofaNerd – **Yeah, there's going to be a plan to get them out but I'm not planning on making things straight forward at all :D

\- **Jul312 –** Fair enough about Sarah, she's starting to annoy me too haha! Jix and Navrina are definitely my favourites :D

\- **Guest –** Bernie Kosar and the other chimaera will be making an appearance in this story, just not for a while – but they will play a huge role, don't worry!

**A final thank you all for the reviews and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 24 – Testing

**Adam**

Alicia sits opposite me, her face closed and cold as she watches me. I can tell that she has a gun in her pocket from the way she keeps brushing her hand against her hip, as if to reassure herself that her weapon is still there. I wonder what it must be like for her to be here; her whole life the mogs have been the bad guys but now she has to work with one. It must be hard to adapt, especially when it was my brother who killed her sister.

I shift, looking around the bare room uncertainly. It's cold but Alicia doesn't seem to notice or care. I wonder if she's done it on purpose, to unsettle me. I have a table of maps and paper spread out in front of me, ready for me to start betraying my race's deepest military secrets. We're waiting for Henri to bring one of the 'insiders' that he was talking about. Apparently this is the Loric that has been reading my mind for the past year; he works as a minor cleaner in the Training Centre but that's close enough apparently to read my mind. He's coming today to make sure I'm not planning on giving these two up to the mogs or lying about the information.

"You know, I did care for Hannah," I finally say, wishing that Alicia would say something, even if it's an insult. Hannah looks up at once, focusing immediately on her sister. Alicia scowls, sending a pang of despair through Hannah. She's not used to seeing her sister look so sad, so grim, especially because it's caused by her death. It hurts Hannah badly to see her sister like this. And it hurts me to know that I caused all of this.

"I'm sure you did," she snaps, crossing her arms. "Her death just shows how much you cared!" she scowls but I can see a few tears in her eyes. Sympathy washes over me and she suddenly doesn't look terrifying anymore. She just looks like a vulnerable girl who's lost her sister.

"It's the truth" I reply. "My father knew…" I swallow. "He knew that I cared for her. That's why she died, you know. Because of my feelings," I shake my head sadly. "It's all my fault" Alicia watches me carefully, her eyes narrowed.

"You could have saved her," she finally says. "Your father is powerful. He could have pulled strings to make sure she was safe" I sigh in agitation, wishing she would just _get_ it.

"He pulled strings to make sure she died!" I snap. "My father hates me! I'm a failure to him and he loves hurting me! Hannah's death was just a way for him to show me he has more power" I bite my lip, shutting up when I see the look on Alicia's face. No one wants to know that their sister's death wasn't even worth it. That it was done so someone could feel better about themselves.

_Nice one Adam, make her suffer more, _Hannah snaps bitterly, waves of protectiveness washing over us. I want to push her away from me, she's making the situation even more confusing, but I don't say anything. It is her sister after all and she has a right to be here, even if it is indirectly.

"It's still your fault" Alicia whispers viciously. I wince, guilt flooding through me. She's right, she's so right. Hannah died because of me and I should have done something to stop it. I was too weak to stand up for her, too pathetic to stand up against Ivan. And now it's too late.

The door opens, ending the conversation, and Henri walks in with another man. The other guy is average height with brown hair; he's pretty average looking overall, which makes it easy for him to blend it. They approach the table, the second man focusing on me. I shift uncomfortably, knowing he's probably reading my mind right now, and I hate it. But they have to know they can trust me so I guess it's my only option.

"This is Ben, the mind reader I was telling you about," Henri introduces the man next to him. "He's going to be making sure that you're telling us the truth about everything, and that you're not lying" Henri fixes me with a serious look and I nod, swallowing nervously.

_Does he know I'm here?_ Hannah asks, leaning close to the conversation, apparently not angry with me anymore. Or maybe she's going to bring up our argument later when we're alone. I try not to focus on Ben, but I can sense his eyes on me keenly.

_He will now,_ I tell her. Hannah frowns, her eyes flickering towards Alicia.

_She can't know I'm….alive, _Hannah finally says. _If she knows then she'll never let go. She needs to move on. _I can tell it hurts Hannah to say that but I understand why. If Alicia knows there's a figment of her sister still inside my mind, then she'll be driven mad with trying to restore her sister. Something that can never happen.

"Right" Henri clears his throat, spreading a map in front of me. "Adam, your father is the Great General and second in command to Setrakus Ra. Your brother is rising in the ranks of the Scouts. They both know things, vital things that they must have told you. They may not trust you completely but I don't think they'll imagine you as a traitor" he says, his eyes watching me keenly. I nod, twisting my hands together.

"They knew about…my feelings for Hannah," I blush heavily and I hear Alicia snort, apparently not believing me. But Henri and Ben keep watching me, no hint of a smile on their faces. "But they never imagined I could betray the race" I finish. Ben nods, folding his arms.

"He's telling the truth," he announces. I shoot him a look of irritation, of course I'm telling the truth. Ben smirks in amusement and I sigh heavily, wishing this meeting were over.

"So, tell us everything you know about the military system" Henri says, passing me a pen and paper. I grimace, but take it from him. I want to do this but I still feel guilty about betraying my race. It's hard, knowing that I want them to lose, yet knowing that my family will die because of me. I push those feelings aside and begin to tell them everything I know.

It takes hours. There's the Scouts regiment and then the army and the battle ship and then many more factions that they didn't even know about. Henri writes everything down, his face lighting up at each new piece of information, apparently happy with this meeting. Ben keeps nodding and saying that I'm telling the truth, that I'm no traitor and whilst it makes me feel slightly better, I still feel sick. I can still feel Alicia's eyes on me and it adds to my constant guilt over Hannah's death. I know it was my fault; I don't need someone else confirming it.

_Ignore her,_ Hannah whispers, her voice sad. _After you tell her that I made you give up, she'll change her mind. Once she knows that I decided to face it myself, she'll feel differently. _Ben is watching me closely and I wish more than anything that we were alone right now. What does he think about this?

_I won't tell her. She won't want to know that you made me stop fighting for your life, _I say fiercely. _If she knows that you told me to stop trying to protect you she'll hate me even more and she'll lose her faith in you,_ I reply. Hannah winces but she tries to remain brave.

_So be it, _she replies. _She deserves the truth._

"That's it for today" Henri stretches his arms out in front of him. "We don't want the mogs getting suspicious" he smiles, almost looking happy. I guess for him this is all good news; it doesn't make him feel guilty about crossing his own people at all since he's fighting for them. But for me, this is much harder. Do I want the better race to win if it means my own race is killed out? Yes, but it means that everything will be different and my family will be dead. That's hard to come to terms with.

Alicia and Henri stand to go and I feel another rush of guilt when I see Alicia. She scowls at me, and I know that she may never forgive me over Hannah's death. I can tell her the whole truth but she'll still hate me, and even worse, she might start to hate Hannah too. I can't do that to Hannah, or Alicia. The two Loric leave the room, leaving Ben and I.

"Why didn't you tell them?" I ask heavily. "You know about Hannah" I note. Ben shrugs, his face sad as he watches me.

"And upset Alicia more? She needs closure. She needs to think that her sister is dead and there is nothing she can do about it" Ben sighs. "Grief and loss are delicate subjects but it's easier to cope when there is no chance of hope. Besides, there's no point in telling anyone since it adds nothing to the cause. It doesn't help us with anything,"

I nod, knowing exactly what he means. "How did Hannah manage it? How did she manage to get into my mind after she died?" It's been something I've always been desperate to know about and Ben is the only one I can ask.

Ben frowns. "It's not unheard of when a Loric has the legacy that Hannah had. Dying Loric that were bound with one another were able to imprint on the other's mind before their death, meaning there were two minds in one body. It apparently works with a mog as well," he explains, but I can tell he's secretly fascinated, despite his calm demeanour.

"And how long does it last for? Forever?" I ask hopefully. It would be wonderful to have Hannah with me for the rest of my life; I'd never be alone that way. Ben looks at me sadly, his eyes filled with sympathy.

"One body cannot sustain two minds. And Hannah's mind is more of a memory than a living soul" he shakes his head. "The disappearances have already started from what I've seen. That's how it begins" he sighs. Panic begins to creep through me and I unsteadily swallow, not wanting to know more…yet I have to.

"How _what_ begins?" I ask nervously. Ben sighs, looking down at his hands helplessly.

"Adam…she isn't tied to your body the way your mind is. She's losing her grip on you, no matter how hard she tries to stay" Ben explains softly. "The longer she's there, the weaker her grip" I shake my head, refusing to believe him. Nearby, Hannah buries her head in her hands.

"So what does that mean?" I whisper. Ben looks at me sadly, his face filled with sympathy.

"It means that Hannah doesn't have long left," he says softly. "One of these days, she's going to disappear…and then she will never come back"

Xxx

**Sophia**

The waiting room is full as we wait for our tests to begin. It's the third day of training already, and after this test, we're done with it until the Games. The days in the Capital have gone so quickly, in fact the months since the Calling have passed so rapidly. In a few days we'll be entering the arena to start the ultimate fight for survival. I'm nervous but at the same time, I hate the waiting around, not knowing the arena layout. I want to get in there and start.

"Liana Lawton" the first name is called and a slight girl of around 20 stands up, heading for the door. She swallows nervously, her eyes flicking around frantically, as if she's about to enter the Games now. I don't know how long she's going to last. Not all survivors of the Games are strong; take Liana and Sarah for example. They just happened to be in a year with strong fighters who won for them.

I look around the room, my eyes pausing on Stanley. I spoke to him briefly the other day, and it just reminded me of what a good friend he is to me, of how close I feel to him. He's the only one I've really been myself around in here and now I have to fight him to the death. I wonder how he's coping and whether he'll find it easy to kill me, or whether he will try at all. I don't want to fight him, but I might not have a choice. And if it's between our lives, I will always put mine first. I just hope I don't have to make that decision.

There are others in here that I'm not scared about killing. The 'careers' as Christina called them are every bit as aggressive and brutal as I imagined. I guess those who fight for entertainment for the mogs should be considered threatening. I'm still not entirely scared of them though; they're stupid and they're just here to fight, not to play a political game like the mogs want us to. But they'll still be hard to kill.

I reach up and touch the metal chain around my neck with the pendant on the end. Christina gave it to me, as a symbol of her trust, but I know it's more than that. I've seen a few others wearing it: Marina, Joseph and Marcus. I bet some others have one too but aren't wearing it, like Maren or Stanley. I'm still not entirely sure what they're for but I'll keep mine on. It can't hurt.

"Sophia Arnaud" my name is called and I stand up, meeting Stanley's eyes briefly. He grins, flashing me a thumbs up and I can't help but smile back. I should stop this stupid friendship but his company is too addictive. It's going to get me killed, I can feel it, but I can't seem to end it.

I walk through the open doors, shivering as they slam behind me mechanically. I walk slowly into the Training Hall, taking in the large stations of weapons and survival techniques, as well as the balcony area with the Gamemakers. They've got that funny force field in front of them, as if to protect them from us, although I don't know what we could ever do to them and whether we would be stupid enough to do so. If we annoy them, they'll unleash hell in the arena.

I try to stop thinking about unimportant things and focus on the task at hand instead. I approach the throwing knives station; this is my strongest weapon and I want to get a good score. Sponsorship is more important than ever now, and I need to get supplies in the arena or I'm dead.

"You have ten minutes," one of the Gamemakers announces. They all look relatively awake, which is a relief. It's impossible to get a good score when they're all drunk or tired.

I pick up a knife, feeling its weight and grip. I toss it up in the air, catching it by the handle expertly. It feels perfect. I select a few more, sliding some into my belt whilst others stay in my hands. The balance is perfect on each one and I smile in relief. If I close my eyes I could almost be back in the arena in my Games, the targets in front of me live mogs just waiting to be killed.

I press a few buttons on the pad by the targets and the machine that moves the targets whirrs to life, the objects starting to move in front of me. Some are slow, smooth whilst others dodge around quickly. I take a deep breath, adjusting my grip on my first knife. I take in the targets, lifting my arm for the first throw. My whole body is tensed, waiting for the perfect shot.

The nearest target moves into perfect position and then my knife flies through the air, thudding into the bulls-eye. Barely hesitating, I flick another knife into my hand and then it shoots through the air, landing perfectly on another target. I grab another knife and then throw, once again hitting the target.

I lose myself in the throwing and the constantly moving targets. When I'm done with the knives in my hands and belt, I grab some from the tray, wanting to show off as much as possible for a good mark. It's perfect throwing and each one hits the target in the centre; if they were real mogs, they'd be dead. I come to a stop when the machine stops moving and there are no more knives. I'm breathing heavily, a light sheen of sweat covering my skin, but I feel satisfied. I've done well; I can tell without even having to read their minds that I'll get a good score.

"Thank you," one of the Gamemakers says calmly. I watch as a few of them make notes, the youngest mog there whispering something to another Gamemaker. I faintly recognise him but I don't know why. It doesn't matter though; he's just another killer.

I turn away and head to the exit of the Training Hall, a bit annoyed that I'm already done for today. Christina and I have nothing planned for this afternoon apart from a bit of prep for the interview tomorrow evening. But aside from that, I have nothing to do. I hate just sitting around, waiting and thinking about the Games. I want to be able to move around and forget about the Games in the monotony of exercise.

"Sophia!" Christina waits outside the hall, grinning when she sees me. I smile back, but I'm puzzled as to why she's here. I don't need escorting around this building; I know it like the back of my hand.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I ask. She smiles brightly, leading me down the usual corridor to the elevator.

"I wanted to know how your test went," she says brightly, her eyes pausing very slightly on a mog solider nearby. I shrug, playing along with her although I don't know why she couldn't have just waited for me to come back.

"Good," I smile. "I used the knives like you told me to" Christina grins, but I can tell she's nervous about something. We head to the elevator, entering as normal, but the minute the doors shut she presses another button, one that leads to the very top floor of the Tower.

"We're not allowed there" I frown in confusion. "That's for mentors only" she shrugs, but her eyes flicker around carefully as the elevator heads up.

"I'm allowed to take you there if I want since I'm a Mentor," she finally replies. "This is important Sophia," She takes a deep breath and then turns to me, placing her hands on my shoulders. Her face is fierce and I'm slightly taken aback by the look on her face.

"Look Sophia, remember that one time you read that book about the Nine? And you were asking me all these questions and I shot you down?" she presses. I nod, still confused, but I'm starting to get excited. I knew that something was going on but she'd always said no to me, always told me to back off. Now it seems that she's changed her mind.

"You were right. The Nine are important," she whispers, keeping her voice low despite us being the only ones here. "I need you to promise me that you'll keep this secret. No one can know about this meeting" The elevator is coming to a stop and I nod quickly, excited and confused. Finally, I'll know what's going on with her and what Meryl was trying to tell me all those long months ago.

"There are some people that want to see you" We step out of the elevator heading to a nearby room. "Some very important people that want to help you and the other tributes,"

Christina straightens her clothes, her face serious as we wait outside the room. She knocks on the door, her hand shaking slightly. I hear a shuffling noise and then the door opens, Henri standing in the doorway. He grins when he sees us, opening the door wider. My eyebrows rise in shock when I see who else is in the room, and I stare at Christina, confused.

"It's time you learnt the truth," she says grimly and we enter the room.

Xxx

**Maren **

The clock ticks endlessly on the wall, every ticking noise becoming louder and louder in the silent room. Nearby a boy sits with his head in his hands, his knee bouncing up and down furiously with nerves; he still looks young, he must have survived in recent years. I want to feel sorry for him but he's just annoying me with his apparent fear. If you're scared, it's better to keep it to yourself.

"What are you planning on doing?" John smiles at me gently, his eyes warm and friendly, as he waits next to me. I know this is dangerous territory, talking to him, but I just can't seem to dislike his company. There's something so nice, so refreshing when we hang out with one another. It's like he's the only person I can really talk to now.

"In the Games? Or in the test?" I ask. He grins, gesturing to the Training Hall where someone is having their test right now.

"In the test" he chuckles. It's a nice, warm sound and I can't help but smile back, despite every bit of common sense telling me to get away from him, to stop socialising and be distant. Yet I just can't seem to listen to myself.

"No idea," I admit, shaking my head. "They already know how I fight. They saw it last year and in the last few days" I shrug. John grins, his blue eyes kind.

"Yeah, but you know they're not supposed to judge you on past performances. It's literally what you do in the next ten minutes that counts for your score," he reminds me. I huff and he grins in amusement, lightly nudging me with his elbow. I laugh despite myself, ignoring the strange looks from the other tributes. Sarah glowers nearby, her usually pretty face as dark as thunder. I know it's because John is talking to me, and not her, but she can't seem to realise that if they talk it'll just hurt them more.

"I don't know," I finally say, turning more serious. "I want to make it count, you know? I want to make them feel bad for what's going on" I shake my head. "I just down know how I can do that" John nods, his face turning serious as well.

"If anyone can figure out a way to do it, it's you" he says. I roll my eyes, focusing on my hands. They're covered in bruises and callouses from past months of training but I don't care how ugly they look; they remind me of everything I've been through.

"I just…if we're going to die, and it's pretty likely that we will," I whisper. "I want to make my death count. I want to show people that I'm not one of the mogs. That I'm not some stupid pawn in their game," I admit.

"You'll never be one of them, Maren" John smiles. "Everyone knows that. The whole of Lorien knows that" he laughs softly. "They'll never see you as one of the mogs, never"

"I used to be so different," I whisper. "All about survival, all about me and my family and that was it. But now…I saw what happened on the Tour and we'll always be in danger…I _want_ people to fight. _I_ want to fight," I say fiercely.

"They should never have threatened your family," he says. "Then you might have played along more. But by threatening your sisters they made an enemy out of you" he replies. I frown in confusion, eyebrows raised in puzzlement.

"How do you know they threatened my sisters?" I ask in shock. I never told anyone about that, not even Katarina. John shrugs, his face kind.

"Because I know you," he replies simply. "Threatening your life wouldn't scare you, you've been in danger all your life, but the minute your sister was threatened that was it" I nod, relieved that someone finally knows. Maybe he always knew; that was why he never judged me on the Tour for not saying anything rebellious like he and Stanley did.

"I want to make everything I do in the arena count, so people won't stop fighting" I whisper softly. "I don't know how, but I want to. Like I want to make this test count, even though no one but the Gamemakers will see it,"

John doesn't try to argue with me like Kat or Sam probably would. He doesn't try to plead with me to change my mind, but instead he smiles, looking at me almost fondly. It's like there's no one else in this room apart from the two of us, like no one else exists, and I like it. I like the way he looks at me, as if I'm the only one that matters right now.

"Go for it then" he replies. "Make them pay" he grins. I begin to smile back, when the door opens to the Training Hall.

"John Smith," the voice over the loud speakers calls. I pat his arm lightly for good luck and he grins, heading over to the door and the Training Hall. Sarah watches us the whole time, her eyes narrowed. John enters the room and the door slams shut.

I feel weird the moment he's left me, and the room feels empty once more. I can feel Sarah's cold eyes on me, as if she's angry with me. It's not like I'm stealing John from her, he'd never even look at another girl in the same way he looks at her, but she still seems angry. I can't even be bothered to care. She's not worth my time.

The big thing is what to do in my test. I'm good with throwing knives, bow and arrow, sword and hand-to-hand as well as survival techniques. Showing off any of them will get me a solid score but I don't want a good mark anymore. I want to make an impact, even if it puts my life in danger. I want to show them that I don't own them. But what do I do? Sit in there and do nothing? I suppose that's an impact in itself since by refusing to do anything that shows that I'm not one of them.

I'm so different from how I used to be. Even when these Games were announced, I was all about my survival and the others' deaths. As long as I lived, I didn't care. But something changed the minute I got here. Whether it was seeing Setrakus at the parade or knowing that the Games were approaching, something changed. I want to live, but I want to fight more. I want to show people that we should never give up, even if it means my death. Besides, my family will always be in danger as long as I'm alive, I know that now, there's no point trying to protect them anymore.

"Maren Elizabeth," the door opens and I stand up, my mind racing. I don't even have a plan yet but it's time for my test anyway. I head over to the door, my heart pounding slightly with nerves. I hate not having a plan.

I enter the room, the smell of paint immediately hitting me. I frown in confusion as I walk past the camouflage section where John must have done his test. He never was that into this station but it looks like he's gone mad, judging by the paint all over the floor. I never even realised that he liked painting but then maybe I don't know him that well. I slow down when I see the marks on the floor, the paint swirled around in a pattern. I can tell that the mogs tried to clear it away by the smudges on the outside, but John's work was too good and they didn't have enough time. I look closer, my breath catching when I see what it is.

It's not a drawing at all, it's a list. A list of all the Loric tributes that died last year. I didn't even know that John remembered their names but he must have. Beside each name is an age and my breath catches at some of them. They were so young and helpless. But it's the name at the bottom of the list that really gets me. _Hannah Baratheon. _The girl who could have been my friend if I'd had time to get to know her. I haven't thought about her in so long; her death is just too painful. I was so close to saving her from that brutal mog, but he won in the end. Thinking of how I failed her hurts me too much to think about. But now, with the remind of her broken body on the sand, the blood spilling into the ground, all the memories of grief and anger rush back. I couldn't save her, even though we were so close to the end. She should never have died…_never_.

Anger races through me, thick and hot and fiery. I brush a tear away from my eye and stare at the Gamemakers, hatred racing through me. Anger takes over and it's like all common sense disappears. I head away from the paint section, grabbing a dummy from the throwing knives target section, anger clouding my mind. I break its neck easily, dumping it on the floor. I can hear the muffled talking from the Gamemakers but I don't care about what they think. I grab a nearby rope, using my newfound knot-tying skills to create a hanging noose. I slip it around the dummy's neck, my heart beating fast with anger and hatred. I know this is wrong and I'll get punished badly for this, but I just can't stop myself.

I grab a small bowl of blue paint, the only colour that John left for me. I can hear the murmur of the Gamemakers as they peer over, trying to see what I'm doing. I shift so they can't see until the last minute for maximum impact. My hand is shaking with anger and adrenalin as I hastily scrawl the name on, knowing that once the Gamemakers see this, my time is up. I grab the dummy, hiding the name written in blue, and heading over to the climbing section. I loop the rope over one of the monkey bars, pulling hard and tying it to a nearby bar so that the Gamemakers can see the 'dead' dummy hanging, with a name scrawled in the middle.

_Setrakus Ra._

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**So Maren is probably not the best at controlling her temper but that's why she's so awesome :D **

**Hope you all enjoyed and please review :D**


	26. Chapter 25 - Goodbyes

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I loved every one of them, and thank you all for putting in the time to write something about the chapter. I really appreciate them all so thank you!**

**Also, for those who hate Sarah, she will be going very soon now! I promise, she will be 'going' in the next ten chapters or less.**

**So, hope you all enjoy and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 25 – Goodbyes

**Marina**

I bang my fist on Cody's door, trying to keep calm but it's hard. I don't trust him at all, it's hard to think that I once did, and the thought of him trying to recruit Ella terrifies me. Ella may not know what he wants but I do; he wants her to join the mogs because she has potential and will be strong one day. Cody wants her power on his side.

"Cody, I know you're in there!" I bang my fist against the door again. Once, the thought of confrontation would have terrified me, but now I don't care. I'll do anything to protect Ella, and besides, I've faced a lot worse in the past two years. Maybe six months ago Cody might have scared me because of his influence amongst the mogs, but not anymore. He's just a pathetic loser with low self-esteem.

I hear a shuffling noise and then the door opens, Cody standing warily in the doorway. He looks as sly as ever, dressed in a mog officer's uniform. His hair is slicked back in the usual mogadorian style and his lips are twisted up in a sneer. Seeing him standing there so arrogantly sends anger rocketing through me but I try to remain calm.

"What do you want, Marina?" Cody leans against the door, trying to look relaxed but I can see that he's nervous by the look in his eyes. I wonder if he's scared of me. He should be after all the training I've done with Adelina.

"To talk" I reply coldly. He shrugs, gesturing for me to enter but I don't want to step into his room. I can't bear the thought of being any closer to him.

"Out here is fine" I say. Cody shrugs casually, but his eyes are cold.

"What do you want Marina? I don't have all day" Cody grins. "I've got errands to run, people to see, meetings to attend" he chuckles. "Unlike you, I don't have the luxury of a day off" he sneers. I clench my fists at my side, taking a deep breath.

"It's hardly a day off," I snap. "We have our interviews this evening and the Games tomorrow" Cody shrugs, a cruel grin on his face. Once it might have been a front, but I honestly think he means it now. Maybe once there was hope for him, but I don't think he'll ever change now.

"Technicalities aside," Cody waves my words off. "What do you want?" he asks again. I shoot him a glare, anger curdling inside me. I get that weird icy feeling churning in my veins but I try to ignore it, not wanting any distractions.

"Stay away from Ella," I warn him. "She'll never join your side" Cody laughs, grinning wickedly.

"If you were so sure, why did you come round here today then?" he chuckles cruelly. I wince, but stand my ground, refusing to show weakness to him. Cody waits for my answer but I'm not sure what to say to him. He grins wider, his teeth glinting in the light.

"Ella can make her own mind up, she doesn't need to be told what to do by you or Stanley," Cody says. "The mogs will let her develop in a way that you never have. She knows that…one of these days she'll accept it and join us" he grins triumphantly. I laugh bitterly, shaking my head angrily.

"You really think that? You really think she'll join the side that killed her friends?" I ask. "You're insane, Cody. Ella may be young but she's stronger and braver than you'll ever be. She'll _never_ join your side," I hiss. Cody's face pales with anger and his jaw locks.

"Then why are you here? Why are you trying to stop me from seeing her if you're so confident in her?" he says smoothly, but I can sense the anger in him. I narrow my eyes, my fists clenched in fury. I hate him so much. I didn't realise it was possible to hate someone so much. Maybe it's because he betrayed me; he was once my friend and I saved him in Round 2 but he just betrayed me.

"Because I'm trying to protect her," I hiss. "That's what you do for friends. You _protect _them," I say sharply. I see him wince at the dig, and I can't help but be pleased. It's about time he hurts for something he's done.

"I tried to protect you!" he yells. "I tried to save you from the Games, and you know it, but won't accept it!" he loses his cool, his pain and anger taking over. "Why won't you accept that?" he shouts. I take a deep breath, steadying my nerves. I won't feel sorry for him, I _won't._

"Because it's not enough!" I snap. "You still sent the others in to die without caring!" Tears flood my eyes. "Because you were my friend and you betrayed me! You betrayed us all!" I falter, my breathing unsteady. Cody looks stunned, his eyes broken.

"I didn't want us to stop being friends," he whispers. It's like his cruel, angry front has been ripped back and it's just the vulnerable boy in front of me once more. "All I wanted was to be appreciated for who I was" he whispers, tears in his eyes. I bite my lip, my hatred replaced with sympathy.

"I did" I reply softly. "If you had only stopped feeling angry at the world then you would have noticed that I did appreciate you" I shake my head. "You just wanted more and lost sight of everything" Cody looks stricken, as if this never occurred to him.

"Well it's too late now," he replies. "I'm one of them now. I work for them. And you're going to die" he says viciously, as if to distance himself once more. Maybe he thinks that's the only way to protect himself. I wince, feeling raw and hurt. This always happens when I talk to him and I hate it.

"Maybe not" I reply, trying to appear brave. "I might live to win this. And I'll know if you've tried to recruit Ella" I say, injecting anger into my voice. Cody sneers, his front back on once more.

"But if you die you'll have no idea what will happen to her" Cody whispers viciously. "Poor Ella, all by herself…maybe she'll change her mind just so she'll have someone there for her. Maybe she'll join us, be one of us. Maybe she'll-"

"Shut up!" I yell, trying to block out his poisonous words. "You're wrong about Ella, you're wrong! She'll never join you, be one of you!" I shake my head, trying to blink the tears in my eyes away.

"Don't listen to him," there are a set of footsteps and then Joseph appears, his comforting presence reassuring me at once. His face is set into a scowl when he sees Cody, his fists clenched at his sides. I wonder how much of this conversation he's heard.

"Oh here he is, come to save the day" Cody mocks, his face twisted up spitefully. Joseph comes to stand by my side, and I feel stronger at once, even though I was capable of holding my own without him. It's nice knowing that someone is here to back me up, no matter what.

"Shut up, Cody" Joseph snaps. "Why don't you run off to your precious mog friends? Marina and I have had enough of your bullshit" I've never heard Joseph sound so spiteful or angry but there must be something about Cody that really grates on him.

"'Marina and I'," Cody repeats Joseph's words, his eyes filled with cruelty as he taunts Joseph. "Marina and you. What a team you could have been. What a future you could have had. Shame that she's going to die soon," I wince and Joseph turns pale with anger or fear, I'm not sure. Cody leans forwards, loving the effect he's having.

"It would be so awful if she had to die in front of your eyes, wouldn't it?" Cody whispers softly, his voice dangerous. He inches closer to Joseph, his eyes dark with anger. "Do you now how much influence I have amongst the mogs? Enough to make a difference in these Games. It would be such a shame if you had to see Marina die and you were powerless to stop it," Cody whispers viciously. Joseph is pale and looks sick. "It would be such a shame if-"

Joseph reacts so quickly that I barely see it. He grabs Cody swiftly, slamming him to the wall in a grip that was similar to the one Cody used on me so long ago. But this time Cody isn't strong enough to fight back and he stares at Joseph, almost horrified. Joseph's grip on Cody is pretty strong but I can't find it in me to be worried. He deserves this. In fact, there's some part of me that is pleased that Joseph is doing this for me. It's wrong, but I'm glad.

"If you do anything to Marina," Joseph says slowly, his voice soft but dangerous. He leans close to Cody threateningly and it's the first time I've seen Joseph truly angry. "Then I swear I will do whatever it takes to win the Games so I can make you pay. And that's a promise" I can only imagine what Joseph's face is like but Cody swallows nervously, his forehead shiny with sweat.

"Come on Joseph, let's go" I speak up. As much as I'd love to see Cody punched in the face, the punishment that Joseph would get in the arena isn't worth it. "I don't want to waste my last day here with him," I say, gently placing my hand on Joseph's arm. I can feel his tensed muscles under my hand but then he relaxes, dropping Cody to the floor. Joseph's breathing heavily and I can tell he's still angry but is trying to control himself for my sake.

"I meant what I said" Joseph stares down at Cody. "Be careful" He turns on his heel, marching away from Cody, his back tight with anger. I follow Joseph at once, refusing to even spare the traitor a glance.

Xxx

"You shouldn't have done that," My head rests in Joseph's lap as I lie on the roof of the Training Centre, the late afternoon sun still warm and bright. The smell of flowers wafts in the gentle breeze and the chiming of the wind chimes adds to the atmosphere. It's perfect for my last afternoon here and I wouldn't want to do anything else.

"Why not?" Joseph plays lightly with my hair, a smile on his face. His green eyes are serene but filled with the familiar mischief that never seems to go away, no matter what. I know I shouldn't be here, I should be hiding from him and distancing myself, but it just doesn't work. I love him too much to change anything; I'm in too deep. I don't want to be away from him anymore and I don't want to lie to myself about my feelings anymore.

"Because Cody has influence with the mogs," I shut my eyes, enjoying his fingers lightly playing with my hair. "Because he could make you pay for that"

Joseph shifts slightly. "It was worth it," he replies, his voice warm and sincere. "I wasn't going to stand by and let him threaten your life," I smile, my eyes still shut.

"Thanks" I whisper. He doesn't reply but I feel a gentle touch on my cheek. His fingers gently brush over my cheekbones, his touch as light as a feather. It's wonderful.

Once I used to be so worried that there would be nothing between us, but I never realised how wrong I was until now. Joseph has always cared for me, and I have always cared for him. Only now do I realise that love isn't chocolates and flowers and kisses, and even though that's sweet, it's not necessary to show you care. It's knowing that someone is always there for you and will always support you. It's knowing that there's someone who understands you and accepts you, and will never judge you. I've had that from day one with Joseph, and he's always had it from me. And I know that no matter what happens in the arena that will never change.

"We should be heading down soon" Joseph sighs. "To get ready for tonight" I open my eyes slowly, blinking at the bright light.

"I don't want to go," I say honestly. "I want to stay here with you, and never leave" Joseph laughs gently, smiling warmly down at me. I feel all warm and happy, as if we're in a bubble where no one can get to us. I don't even care that the Games are starting tomorrow. This moment is all that counts and it's perfect.

"Adelina will drag you down eventually," he laughs, gently curling a lock of my hair around his finger. "And Reynolds will come for me as well" I smile, leaning my head against his knee so I can see him better.

"Well, until she does, I'll stay right here" I reply. He laughs again, moving so that he can lie down too. I shift slightly, and then his arms are around me, and I can rest my head on his chest. I close my eyes again, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his warmth all around me.

"And I'll stay with you" he says softly. "Right by your side" his lips press against my forehead gently and I smile, snuggling in closer. His arms tighten around me, protecting me for the last time.

"Always?" I whisper, knowing that he can't promise me this. Who knows what will happen tomorrow, who knows what will happen in the Games? He can't promise me anything when we have to fight one another. But he does it anyway.

"Always"

Xxx

**Maren**

"You could get into a huge amount of trouble for your test" Sam paces in front of me, his face twisted up in worry. "You committed treason! They're going to make you pay for that! They'll kill you!" Sam chews his lip in fear, his glasses wonky on his nose. Looking at his dear, familiar face hurts me so much but I try to look casual.

"I'm going to die anyway," I shrug, leaning back on the sofa. "There's no way Setrakus will ever let me live, no matter how hard I fight in the arena. I might as well go out with a bang," I try to look like it doesn't bother me, but fear churns sickeningly in my stomach. Thinking back on it, it wasn't a great idea at all to present a 'dead' Setrakus Ra to the Gamemakers, but I was just so angry. I wanted to make my test count.

"Be serious, Maren!" Sam pleads. "I don't want you to die! Your family won't want you to die! If you fight hard enough, you could win and you know it!" he reaches out for me but then hesitates, a small blush on his cheeks.

"Don't be melodramatic, Sam! Against all odds, I did ok! A ten is the highest score," I roll my eyes. I had been very surprised to get that to be honest, I had expected a one. But when it turned out that John had gotten the same mark, things started to make sense. They want the both of us to be targets in the arena for getting high scores. And I bet we're going to be the brunt of Gamemakers tricks in there too.

"I'm not being melodramatic!" Sam explodes. "I don't want you to die! Neither of you!" I've never seen him so angry and my witty reply disappears.

"I am being serious," I reply softly, dropping my eyes away from his. "I know I shouldn't have done it, I really know it Sam, but I was so angry" I shake my head, annoyed with myself. Why do I keep doing this? "But there's nothing I can do now. I might as well focus on the present instead of the past," I say softly. Sam sighs, looking like he wants to say more, but John interrupts him.

"She's right, there's nothing we can do," he drops Sam's nerdy magazine on the floor and smiles warmly at him. "We might as well enjoy our last day together" He looks slightly tense and distracted, despite his words, and I wonder if he's thinking of Sarah. I wonder if he misses her, still loves her, wishes she were here instead of me and Sam. It's hard to tell with John.

"If that's even possible," Sam mutters. He looks worried and upset and I can't help but feel sorry for him. There's nothing worse than being powerless, especially when your friends are being sent into an arena to be killed. At least I can do something; Sam is in the dark.

"Hey, it'll be ok," I smile. "Sam, it'll be fine. There's no one else I'd rather spend my last day with" I say softly, reaching out and taking his hand in mine. John wraps his arm around Sam's shoulders comfortingly and Sam smiles a little, cheering up a little.

"Me neither," John agrees, a warm smile on his face. I can't tell whether he's being truthful or not. I refuse to look at him. Here we are today, hanging out in Sam's rooms as best friends, but come tomorrow, we'll be enemies. I don't know if I can truly trust John, no matter how much I like him or enjoy his company.

"So, what's this you've been reading?" I change the subject, reaching for a magazine on the ground. Sam turns pink at once, trying to reach out and take it from me. That, of course, fuels my curiosity and I jump away from him, waving the magazine in the air.

"It's nothing!" Sam stammers. I grin, flipping through the pages curiously, scanning the articles.

"_Are there other alien races out there, waiting to be discovered?"_ I laugh as I read out the introduction to the magazine. "You really read this Sam? I mean, I know you're a nerd, but this? Seriously?" I grin at him. Sam tries to tackle me again for the magazine, but John good-naturedly grabs his friend, winking at me. Sam is trying to get free but he's laughing too hard.

"Alien conspiracies and theories?" I shake my head. "I thought better of you, Sam" I grin. He tries to protest but I don't listen, reading more of the magazine out loud. John starts to laugh and I can tell Sam is amused despite his embarrassment. He knows that we don't mean this, and this is a better subject than our impending death.

"Come on guys, this is bullying" he complains. John laughs, lightly shoving his friend, and I raise an eyebrow in amusement.

"We're bullying you?" I grin. "I feel slightly offended, don't you John?" he laughs in amusement but before we can really 'bully' Sam, there's a knock on the door. I stop laughing at once in confusion; who else is coming today?

"I'll get it," Sam says, adjusting his glasses as he heads to the door. I drop the magazine, almost feeling wary, but I know I shouldn't. It's just someone at the door, nothing else. John sits up on the sofa, frowning slightly; we weren't expecting anyone else to hang out with us. Sam opens the door and I gape when I see Sarah standing at the doorway. John turns pale at once, almost looking sick as he stares at her.

"Is John here? He wasn't in his rooms and…" Sarah trails off when she sees John on the sofa, her normally happy face filled with sadness. I suddenly feel really awkward and I can tell Sam feels the same by the glance he shoots me.

"Why don't we leave them to it?" he says softly. I scowl, not wanting to leave John with Sarah. I might not trust him completely, after all it's impossible seeing as we're both in the Games, but he's still my friend. He's been able to distance himself from Sarah but now she's just going to ruin it.

"Um, John? Do you want us to go?" I ask him, hoping he says no. Sarah is a liability; she'll just get him killed. But John nods, his eyes still locked on Sarah, as if there's no one else in the room. I suddenly feel angry with him, and shrug in annoyance, marching out of the room and down the corridor. I don't look at Sarah once; she makes me furious and I don't want to act out, not now in front of John. Can she not see what she's doing to John?

"Whoa, Maren, wait up!" Sam runs behind me, catching my arm. I hear Sam's door shut and I can only imagine what poison Sarah is telling John. I grit my teeth but slow down, surprised by my sudden anger. What is going on with me? It must be because of the interviews this evening and the Games tomorrow. It must be.

"She's going to get him killed," I swing round to face Sam, practically spitting in my anger. "She's going to get him killed because he loves her and can't bear to leave her, and she knows it! She's a lying, manipulative bitch!" Sam looks surprised by my anger and schools his face to look calm.

"Maybe not. She didn't get him killed in our Games," he says softly. "And she loves him, Maren, she's not doing this for her own gain" I shoot him a glare, running a hand through my hair.

"These Games are different, Sam. Anything can happen" I shake my head. "She's going to get him killed both emotionally and physically," I sigh angrily. Sam reaches out, gently touching my arm reassuringly.

"But that means you live" he points out. "So, it would work out in your favour in the end" he says. It's almost something that I would have said once, but things have changed now. _I've_ changed.

"He's my friend, Sam, of course I care," I mutter, my anger starting to dissipate. I hope John's all right, I really do, but my anger was stupid. Sam looks at me, his face thoughtful.

"Of course," he says, looking as if he wants to say something else but knows better. "Of course, that's what it is"

Xxx

**Stanley**

I shovel food into my mouth, starving despite a day of doing nothing. I could have trained in the gym I suppose but I wanted to spend the last day with Sandor since this could be my last chance. We also went over training, talking about tricks the Gamemakers could use and then what I could do to survive. It was almost relaxing if not for the threat of tomorrow hanging over our heads.

"Mind if I join?" John motions to the chair opposite me. I nod, noticing that we're the only other two in the cafeteria for now. It's the interviews tonight and I know the other tributes will be coming down soon to eat before they get ready. I'm dreading the rigorous prep routine for the interviews but it's better than doing nothing.

"You ok?" I ask him. Over the six months spent here after our Games, we all got to know one another pretty well, in a way that was impossible during the Games. I count John as one of my closest friends in here, and it's always fun to wind him up, especially about Sarah. But he looks broken and weary today, with bags under his eyes and a drained look about him.

"Yeah," he rips into bread, dunking it in his soup. He takes a bite, chewing slowly, then shakes his head. "No. No I'm not all right," I frown, slowing down my eating slightly.

"What's wrong?" I ask, slightly concerned. John is usually the calm one, the one keeping us all together whilst the rest of us are breaking down.

"Sarah came over to see me," he sighs, putting his head in his hands. "She was saying…she told me she still loved me and that she wanted me to know that before the Games tomorrow," he mutters. I sigh, shaking my head. It must suck knowing that the girl you love is going into the arena where you'll be enemies. I don't know how I would have coped if Maddy and I were in the same situation. Even now I still miss her and still feel guilty over her death, and I didn't even feel the same magnitude of feelings that John has for Sarah.

"Dude, ignore her. It's just a game," I lie. I know Sarah really loves John, but I don't want him to die because of her. If anyone should live, it's John. He's decent and strong and above all, is a fighter. He'll never give up our cause, even if we're all dead. "She wants to play with your head to make you fall for her all over again. She's trying to make you weak" I chew my bread slowly, feeling bad for lying, but John deserves to have a clear head for tonight and tomorrow.

"That's what Maren's been telling me too," John smiles ruefully. My eyebrows shoot up and I can't help but grin cheekily. Maren is, well, _Maren_. She's gorgeous and scary and badass. And she has been spending a lot of time with John. We've all noticed it, especially Sarah.

"Well, listen to her," I grin. "She knows what she's talking about" I chew my food roughly. John can't help but smile a little, a funny look on his face.

"Don't tell her that," he warns me. "She'll never let you forget it," I laugh, taking a swig from my drink. I stand up to get more food and John follows, apparently as hungry as I am.

"You know, you could do a lot worse," I finally say, pouring soup into my bowl. "Having to choose between Sarah and Maren? A lot of guys would kill for that choice" I turn slightly wistful, just to annoy him. "Hell, I'd give my right arm to be in your position" I grin. John rolls his eyes, his cheeks a little red.

"Who said anything about choosing? I love Sarah, always have and always will. Besides, Maren is my _friend,_" he protests. I snort, shoving him jokingly. But part of me is being serious, Maren and John _have _spent a lot of time together and they're pretty close. Or close in terms of Maren's idea of friendship.

"I think you're protesting too much" I grin. "I think someone here is in denial" John can't help but laugh, shoving me back. I grab for him at once, twisting him into a headlock, but it's only a joke. It's just what guys do. John laughs and tries to break the grip but I'm stronger than him and he's not really trying that hard.

"What's going on here? Have I interrupted something?" I grin when I see Sophia hovering nearby, a bowl in her hand. She's smiling despite herself, especially when John tries and fails to break my grip.

"I'm giving Johnny here a little affection," I grin, ruffling his hair. He mutters in protest but I hang on.

"Get off you idiot" he laughs, trying to fight me off. I let him go, ruffling his hair once more, just to annoy him.

"Hey, you need me now more than ever" I wink at him. John rolls his eyes, grabbing his food bowl and heading towards the table before I can do anything else. Sophia snorts, reaching for the food.

"Be careful, you might make Sarah jealous" she warns me, that sharp smile of hers on her face. I shrug, leaning against the table as she helps herself to the food.

"I think she's already there. A certain Maren and John have been hanging out quite a lot recently," I whisper conspiratorially. Sophia rolls her eyes, shutting the lid of the soup bowl.

"So the interviews are happening tonight and the Games are starting tomorrow, and all you care about is gossip," she laughs. I shrug, as we head back to the table where Joseph and Marina have joined John. They're talking about training but I can sense the tension at the table. This time tomorrow we'll all be in the arena and every one of us is in the way of our survival.

"Hey, give me a break" I reply. "It's the last thing I've got left" Sophia turns more serious but doesn't say anything as we sit down at the table. It feels weird to be sat here with everything and the reality starts to dawn on me. I really will have to kill these people or at least cause their deaths in some way if I want to live.

"Hey Stanley" Joseph grins. He and Marina are sat pretty close together and I can't help but feel sorry for them. If I thought I had it bad, then at least I'm not in their position.

"Hey," I reply, aware of Sophia sitting next to me. She shovels food into her mouth, avoiding talking to the others. She's the only one here who has seemed capable of distancing herself to protect herself. She's not made friends which means we'll be easier to kill.

And it also means that she's preparing to fight. _Really_ fight.

"Ready for the interviews tonight?" Marina asks, picking up a piece of bread form the breadbasket. She plays with it in her hands, lightly picking at the crumbs.

"Course not" I snort. "I'll just wing it" I shrug, not feeling too concerned. After everything I've been through, a small interview doesn't bother me. Marina nods, keeping her eyes downcast. I like her, but she's stronger than people realize and I know she'll also be a threat when the time comes. The thought makes me feel slightly sick and I take a gulp of water.

"Nice to see everyone's eating together like a cute little family" I look up at Maren's voice, noticing the sarcastic tone. She's avoiding John and I can tell that his talk with Sarah has not improved her mood. It would be amusing if not for the look on her face.

"What's wrong with that?" I ask. "We might as well spend our last meal with friends," it strikes me then that I'm so different from how I used to be. Before, I didn't care about friends or being nice; I just wanted to live. But things have changed so much. I don't know if I like that or not.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Maren shrugs. She's got a plate of food but I can tell she's not going to be sitting with us. "Just remember that whilst you're being all friendly with each other, we'll be facing one another tomorrow" she snaps. Marina turns pale and John frowns, looking angry.

"Always one to improve a mood, aren't you?" I snort, annoyed. None of us have forgotten about tomorrow, we've just decided to ignore it for one normal hour.

"I'm being sensible," she looks over all of us and I can see the slightest hint of pain in her eyes. This isn't easy for her either, no matter what she says. "It's about time you all act the same. Because we're not friends. We're all enemies. And only one of us can win"

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**Hope you all enjoyed! The reason Maren was like that just now was because she was still in a bad mood from Sarah.**

**Please review! :D**


	27. Chapter 26 - It's Showtime

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! They were all so kind and lovely to read, and a huge thank you to everyone who supports/reads the story! Thank you!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **LoricWarrior9 – **The 'always' comment _was_ inspired by Snape! I was wondering if anyone would notice that and I'm so glad someone did! :D

\- **TheAdventuresofaNerd – **I'm glad you like the way that Marina's developing her cryokinesis, I wasn't sure if it was realistic or not, but I thought I'd roll with it. Your predictions have been pretty accurate actually for someone who hasn't read HG so that's so cool haha!

\- **Guest – **Yeah, I'll definitely try to add more bromance. I wish I'd written some more, but I'll try hard to put some in.

\- **PD106 – **This is nowhere near the end of the trouble/friendship between Marina and Cody. There's a lot more to come.

\- **Lordpujan – **Thank you! As for their legacies, Maren and Joseph have already developed all of theirs, whilst Stanley, John and Marina and almost done. There'll be a bit about legacies later on but not for now. It's just a little crush for Ella at the moment.

**Thank you all for the reviews and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 26 – It's Showtime

**Marina**

_It's showtime._

I take a deep breath, feeling the nerves settling in my stomach and making me feel queasy. No matter how many times I go on TV, I'm still as terrified as I was the first time I did it. Today is no exception; the thought of the coming interview sets my nerves on edge and my heart thuds frantically in my chest. I wipe my hands on my dress but the crystal-like material doesn't absorb the moisture.

Hector has outdone himself once more and I feel more and more indebt to him as the days go on. Still going with the ice-related theme, my dress is blue and glitters under the lights. It's made out of this flowing material, with diamonds sewn on in the shape of snowflakes. Instead of going for the harsh, cold make up look, Hector made me look warm and friendly, with my hair plaited down my back in its normal style.

"Water theme still?" I turn at the voice, smiling when I see Maren. I have to say, she takes my breath away in her outfit. Her stylist has done an incredible job and her natural beauty just adds to it. She's been covered in a dress of jewels in a range of gold, red, orange, white and even the lightest blue. But it makes sense when she moves because it looks like she's on fire. It looks like she's literally wearing flames.

"Still going on with the fire theme?" I retort. She grins, shrugging, the jewels rippling around her like the flames she wore the other day.

"If it works then why not?" she retorts. She almost seems cheerful for her, despite her earlier distant attitude in the cafeteria, but I can see that something's bothering her, she's just hiding it well. Whether it's the thought of her interview in the next hour or the Games tomorrow that's upsetting her, I can't tell.

There's a burst of noise and we watch the screen on the wall start to play, the TV studio coming to life as the mogs prepare for showtime. Caesar Flickerman is already on stage and I hear him talking to the crowd, both on the screen and from this back room. He's joking around and I hear the mogs laughing and cheering, getting excited for the show. I watch as other tributes trickle into the waiting room, some in groups, some by themselves. The mog attendants start lining us up in order of appearances and both Maren and I are near the back. I jump, as there's a loud burst of applause from the audience, their laughing and cheering deafening me, even behind the stage.

"It's disgraceful," Maren scowls as she looks around. "They're enjoying the thought of our deaths," she scowls, looking around the room.

Pretty much all the other tributes have turned up and I can see Joseph nearby, looking as gorgeous as ever in a black suit. I want to talk to some of the others, mainly Joseph, but judging by the looks on the mogs' faces, I'm not going to push it tonight. They look on edge and I'm not surprised. After our words in the Tour, we're not exactly known for promoting peace and Mogadorian rule. And who knows what the other Victors will do?

"We should make them pay for this," Maren whispers quietly, so quietly that no one but I can hear it. "Make them pay for putting us through this" I frown in confusion, but then the show starts and everything I would say to her is drowned out by the noise.

The anthem plays on the TV screen and the symbol of the Mogs appears on the screen, before cutting to the TV studio just outside this room. It's weird seeing the show from the screen as everyone on Lorien will be seeing it, but hearing it from behind the stage. I hear Caesar Flickerman welcoming everyone, promising a wonderful evening with former Victors, and the audience's cheers are impossibly loud. I wince slightly, the nerves returning with full strength. I have to do this but I'm scared of messing up all the same.

"And now, our very first Victor…" Caesar pauses dramatically. "Callum Shaw!" The most vicious looking tribute smirks and swaggers towards the stage, soon disappearing from sight. I don't need to look at the screen to know when he enters the studio because I hear the cheers from the audience increase tenfold.

The show begins.

The first few tributes are exactly what you'd expect; they talk about themselves, their plans for the Games, how they're going to win…The 'careers' are only interested in one thing and that's killing. The mogs lap it up, cheering when the careers promise to kill every single one of us to win and they don't stop applauding, even when they've left the stage. But as soon as the careers are done, things begin to change.

I don't notice it at first, not completely. It starts when a young woman of about 20 takes to the stage, her face calm and composed. She starts by saying that these Games are unfair, how can it be fair that we go back to fight when we won? We're supposed to be guaranteed a life of freedom and riches, not to be sent back into the arena. She's not aggressive but her words hit home and I can see some mogs in the crowd lose a little enthusiasm, their faith slightly knocked.

Another follows by saying that if the Government are so powerful then they can change the rules, or maybe they already did to suit them. Jace, a prominent Victor is doubly effective. I've seen him on TV sometimes, presenting shows and commenting during the Games. He's good looking and witty and the mogs love him. The audience is reduced to tears as he says that he loves the citizens in the Capital so much, that he can't bear the thought of leaving them all behind. That he can't imagine their pain at losing us. Then Lucia, another tribute, comes along and says that she doesn't know if she can handle the thought of her dying mother watching her only living daughter die on TV.

But it's not just the words that affect the mogs. Many of these tributes are well-known public figures. Some work on TV, like Jace, or fight for entertainment like Callum or Clarissa. Others are interviewed in re-runs of Games or when the new Games take place, but almost all of these tributes are well known. And seeing the Loric figures that they love so much being sent in to die upsets the mogs more than I would have thought.

I can see the mog attendants becoming more and more nervous but the show is live and they have no orders from above to stop the interviews. As more and more interviews go ahead I watch as the attendants shoot us looks of anger, not sure whether we're going to rebel or not. I feel more and more triumphant as the tributes pour onto the stage, working the audience up and making them angry. The audience will always believe in the Mogadorian Government, but that doesn't mean that they like this one rule.

"And now for another tribute," I can tell Caesar Flickerman is getting unsettled. "Please welcome, Marina, Victor of the 14th Annual Funeral Games!" I take a deep breath, nerves racing through my veins but I'm excited too. I want to make my interview count like all the other tributes before me. I may not be as rebellious as Stanley or Maren but I'll make my mark. I'll show the mogs. They've humiliated and beaten and hurt us year after year after year. It's about time they felt the same.

"Good luck" Maren grins at me. I head over to the side of the stage, the familiar stage fright creeping over me. I try to push it away, to ignore it, but it's so hard especially when I see the huge stretch of people in the audience. There must be thousands there and I know there are millions more watching all over Lorien. Black fright washes over me and I'm barely aware of a mog attendant pushing me towards the stage, snapping something.

The audience cheers and screams as I walk out but I just feel numb. It's like the world is slightly blocked out as I head over to the chairs where Caesar Flickerman is sat. But unlike my first interview, I've had experience with TV shows and speeches. Adrenalin kicks in and I plaster a smile on my face, despite my inner fear, and I shake Caesar's hand, settling down on the chair opposite. I can practically feel the whole world watching me now but I try to keep calm and collected. I have to make this moment count. There are more than mogs watching this; all over Lorien, Loric will be watching this and hoping for a sign of resistance. These are the ones we want to reach, not the mogs.

"So, Marina" I can sense Caesar's tension, despite his blinding smile. He wants to make us all shine but he doesn't want us to be rebellious. "What a year" He looks at me expectantly and instead of struggling for answers like my first interview, I find myself talking confidently.

"Don't you mean what a past couple of years?" I reply smoothly. Caesar smiles tightly as the audience laughs; they apparently thought I was being funny, witty.

"Well yes, you were selected for the 14th Games, won them, went on the Tour and are now here again. Two years after your Calling," It's like Caesar doesn't want me to talk so much in case I say something bad but I don't care so much. I may appear confident but I'm terrified inside.

"When you put it like that, it's been quite busy," I say. Caesar laughs and the audience joins in, the noise almost deafening me.

"Indeed it has," he nods, his teeth too white in the bright lights of the TV studio. My dress is digging into my skin and I'm sweating under the layers of silk and chiffon, but I hope it's not obvious to the audience. "How do you feel about it all?" he points the microphone at me and I can tell he's praying for me to be good.

"Well," I begin, brushing my hair back. "Our first time, the 14th Games, there was nothing we could do about that and it was as fair as it could be, if you can even call it fair. We were called, we had to fight, we won," Caesar watches me closely, but I smile calmly, pretending to be friendly.

"But this isn't fair. We were guaranteed safety for life but they're throwing us back into the Games to fight against one another. Friends against friends, boyfriend against girlfriend, former allies against former allies," I frown, my inner anger coming out. "How is this fair? How is this entertaining?" The audience are starting to slowly clap for me, shouting out agreements, and I can see Caesar pale slightly under his thick layer of foundation. This is the first time they've spoken out against the Games. He smiles at me but I can tell it's strained.

"Interesting concept" he agrees and the audience falls silent, hanging on every word. "But this was written into law from the beginning of the Occupation. There was no personal agenda here," he says.

I can feel how dangerous this conversation is becoming. This is too close to home, too close to the danger of the rebellions in the districts around Lorien. I have to be careful now otherwise I could be in huge danger tomorrow. And despite wanting to make the moment count, I still want to fight for Ella. I don't want to throw my life away with both hands.

"Who said anything about a personal agenda?" I laugh lightly. It may sound forced but I can tell by the smiles in the audience that they buy it. "I just don't think it's fair"

"Indeed, it will be heart breaking to see you fight your former friends," Caesar says with an exaggerated show of sadness and the audience falls for it. They begin to shout agreements, clapping and I smile, a little relaxed. This conversation is in safer territory now.

"Yes, yes it will," I reply softly. Caesar glances at his watch discreetly and I realise with a sigh of relief that the interview is almost over.

"Is that why you volunteered for Ella? To save her from the fate of fighting former allies?" To anyone else, this conversation must seem horrible, cruel and the idea of the Games would be horrific. But the mogs love every moment; this is the height of drama. Throwing in friends to kill one another is a brilliant concept to them.

"Yes," I whisper, my voice raw. "I couldn't…I couldn't let her die. I would never forgive myself," I whisper and the audience make noises of sympathy. It makes me feel sick but it can't fight the hollow feeling of grief and hopelessness as I think of Ella.

"Have you seen her before the Games?" Caesar asks. The studio is deadly silent and everyone is hanging off our every word. I look him in the eyes, and I can see that he truly does feel sorry for me. He loves the idea of the Games but doesn't want us to go in there and die. It's puzzling to see this from a mog.

"Yes," I nod, tears in my eyes as I think of that heart-breaking meeting.

"And what did you say?" he asks. I take in a deep breath, my voice raw when I speak.

"I promised her that I would try to win," I whisper. Caesar nods earnestly, then takes my hand in his. It feels wrong to be holding hands with a mog but I know that I can't do anything.

"And try you will," he says dramatically. He stands up, pulling me with him and holds our linked hands in the air. "Your tribute, Marina!" he calls and the audience go wild. They cheer and shout my name, apparently desperate for me to stay around. I stare at them, noticing the tears on their cheeks. They don't want to lose us either. They don't want us to die. They're torn; they love the idea of former tributes killing one another, but they still don't want us to die.

I head off the stage, watching as Maren gets ready by the side of the stage. She looks determined, like some fiery vengeful warrior about to get ready for a fight and I know she'll say things that I would never dare to say. But at the same time, I will have had just as much impact in a different way. The audience have warmed to me without my realising; they seem to love me and want me to be safe. My death will be seen as terrible to them, no matter what race I belong to.

"Good job," I exit the stage and stand by some other victors who are clustered in a group, watching the stage. The woman who said it is about 26 years old with a kind face and intelligent eyes; I think her name is Joslyn. "You had the audience in tears when you were talking about Ella," she grins, squeezing my arm gently.

"Really?" I ask. The woman nods, a calculating smile on her face.

There's a sudden cheer from the audience and I turn to see Maren enter the stage, her dress sparkling in the studio lights. The jewels ripple around her like fire and it's hypnotising to watch. The audience are going mad for her and I can tell that even the mogs are infatuated by her appearance. Joslyn grins next to me, crossing her arms.

"This will be interesting," she notes. I nod, a grin making its way onto my face. No matter the danger she could be in tomorrow, I'm desperate for Maren to say what we all want. After all, this is our last chance.

Caesar starts off talking about her dress and how pretty it is. I bet he wants her to talk about her stylist and how talented he is, but Maren doesn't play along. She replies, but only in one-word answers and I can tell Caesar is getting annoyed. When he asks her to spin, she tells him she would rather die. He wants to talk about her incredibly high training score but she just laughs him off. The audience love it, they love the fact that she doesn't play along, but I know Caesar and those in charge hate her for that. I watch my friend patiently, knowing that she won't let this moment slip by her.

"So, the Games," Caesar changes the subject. "Do you have a plan? After all, some of these tributes are former allies and friends," his voice is filled with sympathy but I can only imagine how scared he is of her response. Yet he can't _not_ ask her this question otherwise it would look weird.

"At first I was going to go in and kill them all," Maren says bluntly. "I only cared about my survival, my life. But things have changed," she says.

"But now?" Caesar asks, almost reluctant.

"But now I know they're not my enemies," she says. "They wouldn't think of killing me until these Games forced them to. They would never see me as anything else but a friend if not for these Games," her voice lowers and I see her eyes glint eagerly. "That changes things. They'll never be my enemies, no matter what the situation. Enemies are people who do stuff to make you hurt on purpose"

"And you don't consider your future combatants enemies?" Caesar asks, interested. I watch as the audience hangs off every word. Maren shakes her head, a grim smile on her face.

"Never. I may kill them, but only because I have to. They're my friends," she pauses. "As for my _real _enemy…well, after the Announcement it was obvious who it is"

There's a long silence, filled with the occasional clap and cheer from mogs who don't understand. But Maren has gone way too far, even for her. I'm almost expecting her to be dragged off stage by soldiers. But none appears and Caesar laughs awkwardly, as if she didn't cross the line big time.

"Interesting. I always love talking with you, such fighting talk!" the audience cheers at once, clapping along with Caesar but I know this is all a cover up. No one will forget what Maren just said, neither the mogs nor the Loric. She just publically declared that the mogs were her enemy and that is never good. This could affect Maren badly in the Games.

"And that's time," Caesar says. He reaches out for her hand and Maren surprisingly gives it to him, standing up gracefully. There's a triumphant grin on her face and I know that she'd say the same words all over again if she could.

"Maren Elizabeth Everdeen, the girl on fire!" Caesar announces and the audience bursts into applause. Maren makes her way over to our side, grinning charmingly at the mog attendants to wind them up and I can see the barely suppressed hatred in their eyes.

"That was mad," I tell her as she joins me. "Brave but mad" She laughs, crossing her arms as Stanley enters the stage to more cheers. I can tell by Caesar's face that he just wants a break and for the show to end.

"What have we got to lose?" she replies, her eyes lit up with delight. "These are games after all. It's just one giant game"

I would have thought that Maren peaked the evening but the other tributes weren't going to be eclipsed by her. Stanley continues to mount the tension by talking about how easy these Games would be if it were mog tributes instead of fellow friends and Loric, and how he'll find it impossible to kill us. I'm surprised he isn't shot on sight for those insults but the mogs let him go. The audience starts to lose enthusiasm though and I can tell they're becoming more and more depressed as the interviews go on. It's like we're winning them over and they don't want the Games to go ahead, even though I know as soon as the gong for the Games goes off tomorrow they'll be baying for our blood.

Sophia appears after Stanley and talks of how she just wants to see her family again, and if that's just too much to ask? She almost fools me with her sad, lost girl act but I've seen her in training; she's no victim and this is just another game for her. Marcus follows her, talking about how he's only just recovered from the trauma of his first Games and how he's unsure of whether he'll cope. He jokes about a mental breakdown on camera being terrible TV but I can sense the reality of horror behind it; if a tribute collapses from stress on TV, there'll be a huge backlash. The mogs don't want to show the nasty aftereffects of the Games; they're supposed to be glorious, spectacular, not horrible.

John comes on then and his interview boosts the mood even further. He talks of Sarah, of his first love and how he has to see her as an enemy. He's so convincing, I know this is how he truly feels, and even I'm brought to tears. When Caesar decides to bring Sarah on at the same time and they embrace in front of the audience, I'm surprised they don't call for the Games to be ended. Sarah and John are excused since they're too emotional to talk and I can't help but grin in triumph. Although John and Sarah really do feel the way they said in their interview, it was a huge help.

Joseph is the last tribute, and by this point the audience are a state. They're crying, angry, unsure of what to think of the Games. I've even heard calls for them to be cancelled, although I know that's impossible. All we wanted was to cause an impact, to show Lorien to continue fighting and to never stop. And I know that after tonight, the Loric won't.

Joseph enters the stage, a bright smile on his face. Caesar is almost crying with relief at this new, happy tribute and I can tell he's eager to interview Joseph. The two start with an easy, light-hearted chat as they joke about some of the other tributes. The audience find Joseph hilarious; he's a welcome relief after an evening of emotion and anger. But it soon becomes clear that even Joseph is preoccupied as he doesn't laugh that much and even starts to stop smiling.

"Is something bothering you?" Caesar asks, almost concerned. Joseph forces a smile onto his face and I feel concerned for him, hoping he's all right. Or as all right as someone can be with the Games tomorrow.

"It's…" Joseph laughs softly, his brow furrowed. "It's nothing…it's stupid," he blushes and Caesar jumps onto that at once. He winks at the audience and turns to Joseph, almost acting like a father.

"Is it girl trouble?" he asks and the audience makes a stupid oohing noise. Joseph blushes again, attempting a laugh.

"How did you tell?" he laughs weakly. My eyebrows shoot up in shock at this; since when has Joseph had girl trouble? And why would he admit it to the whole of Lorien and not me? The terrible thought that Joseph is interested in another girl enters my mind and crippling pain races through my chest. I try to keep calm though; this could all be for the cameras. It _has _to be.

"A man can always tell," Caesar winks at the crowd, and they burst out laughing. Caesar turns more serious and gently pats Joseph's arm, attempting to appear kind.

"But honestly, who is the lucky lady? What's the problem?" he pushes. The rest of us tributes are looking at each other in confusion; I've never seen Joseph with these issues and neither have the others apparently.

"What is he doing?" John mutters. Stanley shrugs, his eyes focused on the stage.

"No idea, but it better be good," Maren scowls. "We don't want him to ruin everything" Back on stage, Joseph sighs but then straightens up, a blush still on his cheeks.

"There's this girl, who's absolutely incredible. She's funny, beautiful, kind, clever…" he blushes again. "But…I don't think she likes me in that way and I don't know what to do. You see…I'm…I'm in love her," he admits. It's like it's a chat between two friends, not in front of the whole of Lorien and I have no idea what Joseph is playing at. I also can't help but be filled with equal amounts of anger and pain at the thought of Joseph being in love with this mystery girl. Whoever she is, I _hate_ her.

"Well, here's a plan," Caesar mock whispers and Joseph leans in. The audience are enraptured and even I am. "Why don't you win this thing and then she can't help but fall for you?" he suggests. The audience cheers and Joseph smiles, but it falls apart.

"I don't think winning would help me at all," he admits, his voice broken. "You see…" he trails off, swallowing hard. "You see…she's going into the arena with me,"

There's a long silence as the audience process this. Joseph's done the impossible; he's lit the bomb that the rest of us were building up. The effect is instantaneous. John and Sarah was bad enough, but this? Another set of lovers who have been torn apart before they can get to know one another? The idea is almost too awful to bear and the audience are in tears, shouting and screaming. Despite the incredible reaction, I'm filled with blind fury as I take in the other tributes. So, who is this lucky girl that Joseph loves? The level of my anger and jealousy shocks me.

"What's her name?" Caesar pushes, looking nervously at the audience. They fall as silent as they can to hear the name and even I lean in, desperate to know this awful girl's name. I hate her. I _hate_ her.

"It's…" Joseph smiles, and then his eyes aren't on Caesar or the audience. They focus on the tributes by the side of the stage where I'm stood. "It's Marina,"

The audience erupts into shouting and yelling and I can see some push towards the stage, as if to whisk us off and save us. They're mad, _furious,_ and I could never have imagined such a reaction. But I don't even care. My eyes are fixed on Joseph, wondering if this is some kind of game for the camera, but I can tell at once that it's not. He loves me. _He loves me._

Joseph notices me watching and makes a tiny shrugging motion, as if to play the same funny boy he always was. I smile at him softly, this moment is just for the two of us, despite the audience and the TV cameras and our friends by my side, all delighted at the reaction Joseph has caused. Joseph smiles back at me and it's like nothing else exists.

"Well, our time is now up" Caesar tells Joseph. They shake hands but before Joseph can make his way to the side of the stage, the mogs start ushering all of us tributes out there so the audience can see us. This is rehearsed, and we have to do it, despite everything. We line up in a large semicircle on the stage like practiced and I find myself next to Joseph. Caesar begins to close down the show but the cameras are still recording every second, the lens focused on us.

"I meant every word I said," Joseph says to me so quietly that only I can hear, reaching out and taking my hand. I smile up at him tears in my eyes.

"I know," I reply. Then I reach out and take Maren's hand next to me to show that no matter what, we're still friends.

Then something unexpected happens. One by one, some willingly, others unwillingly, all tributes reach out and link hands, raising them high in the air. Even the careers do it, although I notice it takes some effort for that. The audience starts to make an angry noise at this sign but not at us, at the mogs in charge. I can see us on a screen by the side of the stage and I know that this moment will never be forgotten. All tributes holding hands to show that we're united against the mogs is too powerful an image. I hear screams of 'cancel the games', 'change the rules' and I feel a grin make its way onto our face.

Maren was right: this is just a giant Game. And right now, we're winning.

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**Hope you all enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	28. Chapter 27 - Countdown

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love them all so much and I love hearing from you guys! A huge thank you to everyone!**

**I decided to update today because it's a short update and I had managed to do some writing recently. I'll still update on Saturday like usual.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter 27 – Countdown

**Marina**

_Tributes, prepare for take-off._

I sit in the ship, the metal seat cold against my skin. I'm shivering slightly in the cold air, dressed only in a t-shirt and trousers. We're getting changed into our arena outfits later on in the prep room under the arena and the only thing keeping me going is knowing that Hector is waiting for me. I rub my arms, my wrist slightly tender from the tracker that was just inserted into my skin so they can keep track of us in the arenas. I press on the tiny lump, the pain clearing my mind slightly.

I'm shaking with fear, the thought of the coming hours terrifying me. What will the arena be like? Will I pair up with anyone? Will I be dead by the end of the day? I take a deep breath, thinking of Adelina's last words to me this morning before she had to go to the Gamemakers section where she'll be working for the duration of the Games. She'd told me to keep calm and get a bow and arrow, as well as food and water. Ally up with only those you trust the most. Remember the necklace. I get a lump in my throat as I think of the last hug she gave me, her arms tight around me. It had felt like the only time she'd ever really been there for me.

I reach up, gently stroking the blue pendant around my neck, the cold surface calming me down. Adelina has faith in me; I have to be the same. If I focus and keep calm I stand a good chance. Looking around the ship, I notice some of the others tributes and they look sick. John looks downcast and his eyes are slightly red-rimmed; he must have been crying earlier when he said goodbye to his mentor. I bet he's thinking of Sarah too. I feel sorry for him; it's awful to have the person you love in danger but it's even worse when you know they can't defend themselves. At least I know Joseph stands a good chance of winning.

Maren is also nearby but her face is cold and emotionless. I have no idea what she's thinking and whether she's even scared. Out of any of us, she's the one with the best chance at survival. She's strong, can hunt and is clever. The only thing that would stop her from winning would be the Gamemakers. Even then I wouldn't be surprised if she found a way to beat them. I look away from her, trying to recognise other tributes but most of them are strangers. These transportation ships are too small to hold everyone and I know the other tributes will be on another ship.

Any chance we had of the Games being cancelled after last night's show was short-lived and I think we all knew it. The mogs would never cancel the Games, no matter what. And I know that despite the apparent misery of the mogs at the thought of their favourite Victors dying, they'll still be betting heavily during the Games and egging on deaths. They'll get over their grief quickly.

The journey through the air is short but it feels like it takes forever. I'm in a constant state of fear, the thought of the coming Games making me feel sick. At some points I'm determined to win, at other times, the seat belt around my waist is all that keeps me from running. I can see that the other tributes feel pretty much the same as me and one boy even looks green. I try to avoid their faces, feeling like I can't get to know them in any way. It makes it even harder to kill them.

_Prepare for landing._

The tinny voice jump-starts my heart and it starts pounding frantically in my chest. We're here. We're at the arena. I take a deep breath, trying to hide my shaking hands. The ship lands with a heavy thud but I have no idea where we are since the windows have all been blacked out. They don't want us to see what the arena is like until the Games start. The seat belts around our waist retract and I stand up at once, my legs feeling weak and shaky. I take another deep breath, trying to fight the waves of panic that continue to wash over me.

"This way," An attendant says as the door to the ship opens and we're led out onto the landing pad.

The prep tunnels under the arena are identical to the ones from my first Games. The corridors are the same, and the metal walkways with the sharp echoing are similar to the ones from my Games. I watch as other tributes are dropped off at their prep rooms, their faces pale and covered with a light sheen of sweat. No one seems ready for this. But I don't let appearances deceit me because I know that they will all kill when the time comes.

"You have ten minutes," I'm dropped off at my room and I enter at once, knowing Hector will be in here. He's stood by a table in the small room, the transparent tube that transports me to the Games taking up most of the room.

"Hector," I whisper, rushing forward and into his arms. Just like last year, he holds me close in his arms, stroking my hair. I'm still shaking but at the same time, a calm confidence washes over me. I've done this before and lived, I can do it again if I focus. Unlike the 14th Games, I'm not going in without an idea of what's going to happen.

"Let's get you dressed," Hector says softly, his face filled with concern. I nod, quickly stripping and pulling on the clothes he hands me. There are skin-tight leggings and a tank top, which is then covered with a black jumpsuit that also clings to me. A belt encircles my waist with loops sewn on for weapons and supplies to hang on. I have boots that mould to my feet and are made out of a waterproof rubbery material with thick soles. The outfit is comfortable to move around in although I'm conscious of the fact that it's pretty revealing.

"It's waterproof and is made out of a strong material to stop ripping," Hector notes as he pulls me hair back into a tight ponytail. "It's not heat reflective so I should expect there to be water and for it to be hot," I grimace slightly but nod all the same. I'd rather cold than heat but I'll take what I can get.

"Do I get a jacket?" I ask. Hector shakes his head, walking around me to make sure that everything is perfect.

"You have slight padding all over though, to add extra protection," he says softly. "There, you're ready," he says softly. He stands in front of me, reaching out and gently pulling the necklace out from under the jumpsuit so that it rests on top of my outfit. I take a deep breath, my heart still thudding in my chest. My hands are clammy and I can feel myself sweating underneath the clothes.

"Remember, get a bow and head for trees or height," Hector reminds me. "If you're at a distance from everyone you'll be fine," he promises me. I nod, taking a deep breath. I feel sick and shaky and I know the only way I'll feel better is to just get on with the Games. Yet at the same time, I want to stay down here as long as possible and hide from reality.

"Trust Adelina," Hector says after a long pause. "Trust her," I nod and then reach out for a last hug. I'll have to go into the tube soon and I need his support for one last time.

"I don't know if I can do this," I whisper, my mouth dry. Hector strokes my hair but it's no use; my body is trembling all over and my stomach feels like I'm about to be sick. Terror pounds through me and I just want to throw up and hide.

"You can. You did it once, you can do it again," Hector whispers. I don't point out that those Games were very different from these Games. "Think of Ella. Do it for her,"

Hearing Ella's name reminds me of the little girl who will be watching in terror, the thought of me being hurt or killed haunting her. I have to be strong for her; I have to show her that I can do this. I nod, pulling away from Hector and standing straight. I'm still terrified but at least I'm in control. For now anyway.

_One minute,_ the mechanical voice reminds me. I take a deep breath, mustering a smile. It's forced and weak but it's a smile nonetheless.

"I'll see you soon," I say softly. Hector smiles, his face strained, and I head over to the tube. It's been lifted in the air so I can step underneath, and I stand on the disk with the explosives that will soon be deactivated. The tube shuts all around me and I can't hear anything from outside. My heartbeat becomes impossibly loud and my gasping becomes far more audible. I wait for the disk to move from underneath me but it doesn't. I stay where I am.

Hector is frowning in confusion and I look around, wondering what's going on. My hands are sweating like crazy now and a fresh wave of panic washes over me; what's going on? I notice the door behind Hector opening up and I'm filled with relief when I see the mogs. There must be a technical fault that they've come to fix. I motion to Hector to let them pass when I notice the batons in the mogs hands and their scowls. I recognise the movements as they approach Hector; it reminds me of the mogs in my own Games. They're taking the position for attack. I motion to Hector again in urgency and he turns around, just as the closest mog lunges for him. I watch in horror as the baton smacks against Hector's temple.

"No!" I scream, throwing myself against the glass desperately. The mog grabs Hector and throws him against the tube that I'm in, his head smacking the glass so loudly that I can hear it. I slam my hands against the glass, screaming Hector's name as the mogs pound into him with their batons, the sound of the thuds reaching me from outside. Hector falls against the glass, blood smearing down the side as he cowers on the floor, trying to protect himself. The mogs grab him and throw him against the tube over and over and over.

"Hector! No! Don't hurt him!" I'm screaming over and over but they can't hear me. I bang against the glass, fear and terror clouding my mind as blood flows down the glass and pools onto the floor. I barely feel the pain in my hands as I slam against the glass again and again. Hector is unconscious and the mogs grab him, dragging him from the room. I continue to bang on the glass, tears streaming down my cheeks, and then the disk starts moving.

"No, no, _no," _I'm hyperventilating, kneeling on the ground so that I can see Hector but the disk moves upwards. I can't see anything and I press my hands to my face, shaking all over. I feel dizzy, disorientated and terrified that my friend is dead.

_Concentrate, I need to concentrate. _I stand as I enter the tunnel that leads to the arena, surrounded by darkness. I can't get Hector's broken body from my mind, the blood on the glass and the thuds as the batons hit me. I wretch, pressing my hand to my mouth as horror washes over me. What if they killed him? The tunnel begins to lighten and I look up, breathing heavily as the disk begins to reach the surface of the arena. My whole body is shaking and I feel like I'm going to be sick. I run my hands through my hair, trying to calm down, but I just can't. What have they done to Hector?

The disk moves upwards and then I burst into the arena, the light blinding me. The disk stops and I have to steady myself so I don't fall off or blow myself up. I shield my eyes, hearing the clock counting down the 60 seconds we have to take in the arena. I'm breathing heavily, shaking all over, but I force myself to look around the arena. As much as I hate it, thinking of Hector will have to wait.

I take in the arena, noticing the lapping water around my feet. There's water everywhere. My head is all over the place as I try to take the place in: there are spokes of rock that stretch from the centre island where the cornucopia is placed, items scattered around the entrance. I'm too far away to tell what they are. The spokes of rock lead from the cornucopia to the beach and then the jungle after that, which surrounds the whole water layout in a circle shape. It's like a massive wheel, with the cornucopia in the middle.

Joseph? Where's Joseph? I look around frantically, noticing how quickly the clock is ticking down. I can't see him; he must be on the other side. My heart is thudding frantically and all I can think about is Hector, poor Hector, who never deserved that. _Concentrate, _I try to force myself but I can't. I just can't. My mind is all over the place. Time is going by way too quickly but I just can't seem to concentrate.

_Ten._

_Nine. _

_Eight._

I breathe frantically, looking around desperately. There's a nearby tribute on a similar disk to mine, preparing to jump in. I see two tributes who are on the spokes, but much further back, to deal with the number of tributes I think. Maybe they have to stay on their spoke for a bit longer, to make it fairer. I take a deep breath, bending my knees in preparation. I need to get to the cornucopia for weapons.

_Five._

I can't do this. I really can't.

_Three._

I hope Ella won't have to watch this.

_One._

"Let the 15th Annual Funeral Games and 1st Anniversary Games begin!" Claudius Turnus announces on loudspeaker.

The gong goes off.

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**Hope you all enjoyed! See you Saturday! **

**Please review!**


	29. Chapter 28 - Let the Games Begin

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews once more! I really appreciate them all and they're all so sweet and kind. Thank you all so much!**

**Answers to reviews –**

\- **The reason Hector was beaten up was because Marina and the others had made the mogs look terrible in the interviews and it was a form of payback. They wanted to make Marina unstable.**

\- **Guest – I'm glad that you're excited about what could happen, even though it's similar to HG. As far as legacies, there won't be new ones in the arena, but a new one is definitely coming up :D Marina does have underwater breathing and she did use it in the first Games, but it's been a long time since it's been mentioned since she hasn't had to use it.**

\- **John and Maren's relationship will definitely be starting up soon.**

**Hope you read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 28 – Let the Games Begin

**Maren – Day 1 **

The gong goes off and I leap into the water at once, the cold taking my breath away. Instinct takes over as adrenalin races through me and I swim as fast as I can towards the rock spoke, needing to get to the cornucopia as soon as possible. My lungs are burning for air and my legs ache as I kick desperately, but my need to get to the cornucopia wins out over the pain.

I heave myself out of the water, barely pausing to take in the environment around me. I race towards the centre island at once, panting for breath. I notice a few other tributes are on the spokes as well and it looks like one or two have already reached the cornucopia, rifling through the stuff piled on the rocks. Panic sets in and my speed increases, my shoes barely slipping on the wet rocks. I hear someone racing behind me, their footsteps thudding heavily and it's like every thought vanishes in my fear.

I get to the cornucopia in seconds, my eyes landing on a short sword at once. It's quite near the top of the rock island but I know that once I have it, I'll be far stronger. I head for my sword, my feet slipping slightly as I try to climb to the top. The rocks have been piled in such a way that it takes a while to get to the sword and my hands slipping on the wet rock don't help. I feel my skin being scraped as I haul myself up towards the sword. Behind me, I hear a sickening thud and then a scream, the sound of a tribute being killed.

The careers are here.

I grab my sword, looking around for food or supplies but there's nothing. Just weapons. I control my panic and take in the cornucopia and arena from where I'm stood. There are some tributes below me but they don't see too bothered about me at the moment. I can't see the careers but I hear thuds and yelling nearby and I bet they're just round the corner. They're going to try and surround the cornucopia with us on it so they can kill us off, one by one. I see a dead girl lying at the bottom of the island, an axe lodged in her chest. I don't recognize her and I can't help but be relieved that it's not one of my friends.

"Come on, move," I whisper and I grab some knives and a pipe that extends into a deadly staff. I tuck them into my belt, jumping down the rocks as quickly as I can without falling and hurting myself. I see a shadow moving out of the corner of my eye and I know that someone is after me. I pretend to not notice my follower as I clamber down the rocks, adjusting my grip on the sword.

The tribute lunges out for me and I turn, swinging my sword for their chest at once, trying to steel myself for the kill. Whoever they are, they're unprepared for my sword and they stumble back to dodge, falling onto their back. I stare down at the young girl, who can't be more than 19, the dagger clutched in her hand. She stares at me with wide eyes, looking terrified for her life. It was desperation that caused her to attack and I know that she regrets that now.

"Please don't kill me," she whispers, her voice desperate. My throat tightens as I stare at her, knowing that she would have killed me. But she looks so defenseless and pitiful that I can't. I hear more movement and I notice some tributes running around the side of the cornucopia towards me whilst others are running away from the island. That can only mean one thing: the careers are coming.

"Run you idiot," I whisper viciously, and then I leap over her fallen body, racing for a nearby spoke. And not a moment too soon. I shoot a glance behind me, my stomach dropping with fear when I see the careers round the corner of the cornucopia, weapons at the ready. I turn away, but I can't avoid the screams as they set to work.

I've just reached the middle of the spoke when something lunges out of the water, grabbing my ankles and tugging me for the water. I scream despite myself, trying desperately to fight them off, but whoever it is, they're too strong. It must have been one of the tributes, who must have gotten to the spoke at last and decided to attack me for things instead of going to the cornucopia. It's a smart move. I fall onto my stomach, winded and gasping for breath as I try desperately to fight my attacker off, the pipe staff and knives falling into the nearby water. The tribute is too strong though and I feel myself being dragged into the water. I let go of my sword, letting it rest on the spoke, desperately clutching at the rocks in one last attempt at fighting. But the surface is too slippery and I'm dragged underwater with a scream.

I thrash about in the water, trying to land punches on my attacker as they try to drown me. Whoever it is, they're strong and much bigger than me. The water slows my movements and what would work on land doesn't work under water. My lungs are screaming for air and my eyes sting from the salt in the water, as I struggle desperately. The tribute tries to pull my arms behind my back but I fight them off, kicking for the surface.

I gasp for breath when I get to the top but as soon as I breathe, the tribute is dragging me down again. I try turning invisible, but since the tribute still has a hold of me, all that happens if they become invisible too and it makes no difference. I try to use my element legacy to fight them off, but the endless currents I cause underwater just distracts me more. It becomes an endless battle for air and death, the other tribute growing desperate as they try to drown me but I refuse to die. Not in this way. I struggle desperately, trying to scratch their face, gouge out their eyes, anything to save me but they're just as good as me and they manage to evade me. I can't see anything but the swirling water, the sunlight streaming through the bubbles of water, and the shadow of my enemy tribute.

I start slowing down, my need for oxygen winning over and my limbs start to become heavy. I feel hands lock around my neck and I try one last time to fight but it's not working. My eyes start closing and my hands loosen from their grip on my attacker. It's too late…it's over. The world starts turning black and…

And something moves in the water and then my attacker lets go, their scream audible even underwater. Something grabs my arm and then I'm dragged up, away from the other tribute. The water lightens around me and then I burst to the surface, something slamming my back painfully as I gasp for air. My eyes are puffy from the salt water as I cough up water, gasping desperately for breath. The person who saved me is still hitting my back, their arm strong around my waist to keep me afloat.

"Have you got her?" I hear a girl shout. The person who saved me shouts back an affirmative and they start to drag me to the spoke that I can barley make out through my puffy eyelids. I concentrate on breathing and making my limbs work as oxygen revitalizes my body, but it takes time. My body is almost in shock.

"Maren, come on, we need to get out," It's John's voice. _John_. He's alive. I try to force my eyes open to see his face but I can only see the smudgy form of the rock spoke in front of us, someone bending down on it with their hand outstretched.

"Can you climb?" he asks me, concern in his voice. I nod, reaching out and pulling myself out of the water, someone helping me. My body feels shaky and weak but life is starting to return to my muscles. I blink a few times, clearing my eyes, taking in the surroundings. I'm further down the spoke than I remember, and Sarah is kneeling nearby, a crossbow in her arms. I tense up, reaching for my weapons but they're gone.

"Here, you'll want this," John passes me my sword as he shakes his head, water whipping from his hair. I stare at him confused and relieved; he just saved my life. We're supposed to be enemies but he just saved me. My chest spasms and I cough up the remaining water, trying not to vomit out the little food and water in my stomach. I don't know the next time I'll be eating. My head pounds with pain but I try to concentrate.

"You should have let me die," I finally say, my voice raspy. "One less tribute for you to kill," I whisper, still in shock. Sarah looks around in panic, her eyes taking in the cornucopia where the careers are still fighting. John looks at me almost sadly, a wry smile on his face.

"I couldn't," he replies softly. I open my mouth to reply but Sarah stands up, helping me as well. I hate feeling weak but being almost killed has shaken me up. It's typical that I survived the cornucopia but was almost killed by a tribute in the water.

"Come on, let's go before they get to us," she warns us, not focused on the conversation. John nods, standing up and grabbing his weapon from Sarah. I watch them both warily; it seems that we've been allied up without a formal arrangement. But they did just save my life and I know that it's better for now to be together than separate. I can always leave them later if I have to and I know that despite almost dying, I'm still a better fighter than both of them.

"Welcome to the ranks," John grins at me. I smile but I still feel wary and unsettled. I can't believe I almost died back there. All because one tribute tricked me and hid in the water. That shouldn't be allowed.

We run down the spoke, all of us careful in case there could be other tributes lying in wait, but there aren't. I can hear the shouts from the cornucopia as the remaining tributes hack at each other and I hope that it isn't Marina or Joseph or even Stanley on that island. I hope they got out safely. Sarah is the slowest out of all of us but I can't even find it in me to be annoyed; after all, it wasn't her who was almost killed back there.

We reach the beach and then John stops suddenly, both Sarah and I slamming into him. I'm alert at once, expecting a threat in front of us and I grip my sword tighter, waiting for the attack. My hands are shaking slightly but I try to take a deep breath, getting ready for a fight. But nothing happens and I peer around John, dropping the sword when I see the dying girl on the beach. Blood soaks into the sand around her, the girl's stomach and hands stained with the red liquid as she spasms on the ground. Her eyes focus on us and I can see the pain and fear.

"Help me," she whispers, clutching her stomach with the wound. I notice the sand stuck to her clothes as well as the streak of blood on the sand; she must have dragged herself down the spoke after being stabbed by the careers. They let her go because she's as good as dead.

"I'll finish her," I say softly, picking my up my sword. I don't want to do it out of vengeance but out of pity. She reminds me of the animals that I used to catch clumsily who would writhe in pain before I killed them quickly. I want to kill her out of pity and mercy, to end her pain as quickly as possible.

"No," John shakes his head, a strange light in his eyes. "I can heal her" He kneels down, arm outstretched but I jerk him back in anger and disbelief.

"Why would you do that? She's dead anyway" I hiss. She has no weapons, no supplies and looks weak. I feel sorry for her and don't want her to be in pain but I'm practical too. She's a goner and John knows it.

"Because what will they think of us?" John hisses so quietly that only I can hear. "The Loric? They've just watched us all kill and fight one another. We're monsters to them. We have to show them that we can be merciful too," He says, his eyes pleading. "Besides, I can't let her die when I can save her, Maren"

I sigh, noticing Sarah aiming for the cornucopia with her crossbow. The careers are still there but it's just them now and I watch them as they loot the island. There are dead or dying bodies all around them and I feel sick as well as scared. They'll be heading our way soon and I want to be deep in the jungle when they leave the island.

"Fine" I shrug. "But she's not going to be an ally" I snap. John's face clears with relief and he nods, kneeling down next to the girl. I hear him whisper something to her before laying his hands on her stomach. I don't watch him healing her; I'm too focused on the careers who are ready to go. Sarah's hand is shaking and I shoot her a smile, trying to reassure her.

"We'll be fine, we'll get going soon," I whisper. "Besides, I'd like to see them to take us," It's all bravado, I'm still weak from earlier, but it works. She nods, a soft smile on her face. John says something to the girl, who he's already healed, and I watch as she stands, a look of disbelief on her face. I can't help but feel glad that she's all right and out of pain, but that doesn't mean it will stay that way for long.

"Go" I tell her, gesturing with my sword. I don't want to be mean but she has to leave us now. We're attached to too many people as it is; I don't want to add another to the list. John doesn't say anything as the girl nods, her face white with fear and scampers away into the jungle.

"That was good of you," I tell John, passing him as I look at the jungle. Anything could be in there, but it's still safer than the beach. "I wish that it helped us though" I sigh. John nods, looking weary from healing but there's a look in his eyes that I understand. He's proud of what he did. He saved a life and proved a point.

"Come on, let's go" Sarah nervously backs away. "The careers keep looking at us and I want to get the hell away from here" She swallows, her hands shaking. I nod, slinging my sword and it's strap over my back.

We head into the jungle.

The heat hits me at once. It's so hot in there, the heat slowing us down and making us sweat at once. It's almost harder to breathe and the vines and leaves along the ground makes it harder to run. We're heading uphill as if to make it even worse but we manage to go at a decent speed. I'm desperate for water after five minutes but I'm strong enough to cope with it.

"Did you see the others?" I pant as we run through the jungle, the humidity hitting us hard. My hair sticks to my forehead and my clothes are soon drenched in sweat. John is red nearby, panting as hard as me, and I can only imagine what state Sarah is in.

"I saw Joseph with Stanley. He teleported them onto the island and then off again," John shouts back. I nod in relief, despite knowing we're all against one another, but worry starts to creep through me.

"I didn't see Marina," Sarah says. "But I didn't see her on the island either," she gasps, her face red too. I want to stop, take a break because due to this run and almost dying, I'm not in any state for a fight. But I know we have to make as much distance as we can before the careers are onto us.

"We'll keep going till nightfall," John says, wiping his brow as we jog uphill, the trees thickening around us. "We'll think about the others later" It strikes me then how much like me he sounds just then but I don't comment on it.

We keep running.

Xxx

**Marina – Day 1**

The gong goes off and I dive off the disk at once, the cold shock of water clearing my mind. I slice through the water, thankfully not having to look up for air since I can breathe under water. My legs kick frantically and my arms are burning as I swim towards the rock spoke, but it's nowhere near as strong as my need to get to the cornucopia. I think of all the other tributes who are also making their way to the cornucopia and I speed up, fear making me move quicker.

I reach the rock spoke, only noticing when my hand whacks the stone, but I barely notice the pain. I heave myself out of the water, gasping for air and looking for nearby tributes. I notice one a few paces behind me; they've just pulled themselves out of the water. It only takes a moment to recognise the tribute as Krista, one of the careers. We stare at each other for a long moment, both of us catching our breath and waiting for the other to move. My heart is pounding with fear and exertion, and adrenalin pounds through my veins. Water streams down my body and hair, but I don't even care. The moment breaks and Krista races for me, as if to kill me now.

I turn and run off at once, my feet flying over the rocks as I race for the cornucopia. The soles of the shoes have a surprisingly strong grip despite the water and I don't slip over on the wet rock. I have a stitch in my side but I increase my pace, noticing a few other tributes running along the other spokes alongside me. My body is filled with fear and adrenalin and I know that's the only thing keeping me alert right now. I look up at the cornucopia ahead, relieved when I see the gold bow waiting for me. There are two huge quivers filled to the brim, as if the Gamemakers know how much I'm going to need arrows in the next few days.

Leaping onto the centre island, I race for the cornucopia, aware of a growing threat on my right side as a tribute reaches the island at the same time. I grab the bow, slinging the two quivers over my back. I load the bow and then aim for Krista, who is still behind me. She sees me aiming and jumps into the water at once, the arrow that I shot at her barely missing her leg. Panting, I load the arrow again, spinning when I hear a noise beside me. I aim it for the tribute, wincing when I see it's Sophia.

She watches me, water dripping down her clothes and hair. She has a knife in her hand and more strapped around her waist. I aim the arrow for her heart, knowing that she can throw as quickly as I shoot. It's just a case of who's faster right now. But as I stare at her, I can't bring myself to loose the arrow. She may not be one of my closest friends but I've talked to her and spent time with her. How can I kill her? I knew this would be a problem in the Games, and it's like all my worst nightmares have come to life.

She very slowly reaches for her neck and I watch her, poised to shoot. I'm filled with doubt and at the same time I'm aware of the other tributes making their way towards us. I can see more running along the spokes behind Sophia and I can only imagine the others making their way towards me. I need to kill her, get supplies and go. But I can't. It's like my body won't let me kill her.

"Good thing we're allies, right?" Sophia finally breaks the silence that can't have been more than a few seconds long. I frown in confusion, my wariness of her almost strong enough to send the arrow towards her heart when I notice the glint of silver around her neck. She's holding a pendant, a blue circle on the end. It's almost identical to mine; the only difference is the silver pattern on the blue pendant. It's slightly different, as if each pendant has a unique design for each person.

I think of the one Adelina gave me and I know at once that it was because she wanted this to happen. She wanted me to ally up with others. I don't want to do it but I promised to trust her. And this is what she wants; Sophia wouldn't have the pendant if not. So I _have_ to trust her.

"Right," I gasp, lowering the arrow. I'm still filled with doubt and ready to shoot, but Sophia will be invaluable in fighting off other tributes. My heart still pounds with exertion and I notice Sophia change her grip on her knife, her eyes narrowing.

"Duck," she says, her voice dangerous, and I do. I hear the whistle of her knife as it flies through the air and then a thud as it hits its target. I turn, wincing when I see the dead tribute that would have killed me, Sophia's knife in his chest.

"Thanks," I gasp, standing upright. I take in the cornucopia, growing more and more worried as I notice it's only stocked with weapons. No food, nothing for shelter, just weapons. I grab a few extra arms: a sword with a belt, an axe and one of those pipe staffs that Stanley loves so much. I see Sophia do the same, hands shaking in her speed. I can see the other tributes coming now, we must have been particularly fast swimmers, and then Sophia grabs my arm, heading away from the cornucopia. Her grip is tight and I'm almost tempted to pull away, but I don't. I have to trust her, even though I don't want to.

"We have to get away before the careers come," she says. "We may have been fast but we're not as strong as them" I nod, noticing Callum pulling himself out of the water nearby. I don't want to wait around whilst he stocks up on weapons; I saw enough in training to know that he won't hesitate to kill us.

We turn to go and then someone lunges out from behind a nearby rock, a sword in his hand. He knocks into Sophia, the two of them tumbling over and over on the rocks together. I load my bow to shoot the boy when something dull hits my back and I'm knocked down, crying out in pain. I look up blearily, my back hurting from the blow, fear racing through me when I see one of the careers above me. I can hear Sophia fighting the other boy nearby and I know it's just down to me.

"Sorry about this," the boy grins, raising his machete above his head. Instinct kicks in and I lash out with my leg, kicking his knee. He's knocked over with a howl, clutching his leg and I leap to my feet. I nock an arrow to my bow when I hear a cry of pain from Sophia. The boy is pinning her down and I realise it's another career as he raises his knife to kill my ally.

Time goes very slowly then. I know that I have to save her, she's my ally after all, but I don't want to kill the Loric, even though I know they would kill me. I don't want to be a monster. Sophia struggles desperately underneath the boy and I make my decision, sending my arrow flying towards his leg. It hits his thigh and he rolls off with a scream. Sophia jumps to her feet, shooting me a grateful look. I see something move beside me and spin on my heels knowing that the boy after me is about to kill me. But this time, Sophia returns the favour and a knife thuds into his arm.

I scamper down the rocks, my heart thudding with fear and adrenalin. I can see that most of the tributes have begun to arrive and the careers hunting Sophia and I are about to get up again. We get to the bottom of the island, both of us stumbling in our panic to leave. I hear shouting behind us, and then a scream as a tribute is killed. I don't turn to see who it is. But it's clear that the careers are grouping together and starting to take out the tributes arriving at the cornucopia. Sophia and I got there just in time.

"This way," Sophia yells and we race down a nearby spoke, knowing that the careers will be after us if we stay much longer. I notice with a pang of fear that two boys occupy the spoke we're running along, and I raise my bow and arrow ready to shoot, when I recognise Joseph's curly hair and Stanley's huge physique. I sling my arrow onto my back at once, the threat over.

"We have to ally up with them!" I tell Sophia before she can kill them. I know I shouldn't but I'm so relieved to see Joseph alive and I want him to stay that way. Maybe I can protect him if I keep close. I'm surprised when I don't hear Sophia contradict me. But then she chose me as an ally; she's full of surprises.

"Joseph!" I call. He grins when he sees me, relief shining from his face. I'm so happy to see him that I throw my arms around him in a quick hug. He hugs me back, his relief as palpable as mine, and he drops a quick kiss on my forehead. Stanley stands next to him, already clutching weapons, but he still takes the pipe staff from me all the same. I can tell they've been to the cornucopia but Joseph must have teleported them in and out. They must have been fast because I didn't even notice them there.

I notice a splashing in the water and turn to see two tributes fighting in the water, their faces hidden by the water and thrashing arms. I peer closer, praying that it's not one of our friends and we're not just stood by while they're dying. I make out brown hair but that's all I can see.

"Do we save anyone?" Stanley yells. Sophia's face turns white as she stares at one of the boys, the weapons she collected dropping from her hands.

"It's Marcus!" she yells and one of the tributes screams something at the sound of her voice, the sound muffled by the water. "We have to save him!" It's the first time I've seen Sophia look scared and Stanley looks as shocked as I feel.

"Right you are," Joseph teleports at once, standing on the water. It's like we've all accepted that we're going to trust each other for the moment. He reaches down and grabs Marcus from the water, jumping away from the other tributes reaching arms. I can't tell if the other person is aggressive or desperate but Joseph doesn't stick around to find out. He teleports back to us, helping Marcus stands on the rocks and Sophia throws her arms around him in a hug.

"We need to go before they come," Stanley nods towards the cornucopia. I notice the careers chopping down other tributes, their weapons red with blood. I wince, knowing that despite the lack of cannons, they'll be dead Loric on there. The cannons don't sound until after the bloodbath because the Gamemakers can't keep up.

"Here," I hand Joseph the sword, and Marcus the axe, who hefts it uncertainly. "Let's go," We turn and head away from the cornucopia, away from the dead tributes that could be our friends. I don't want to think about John, Sarah or Maren who could be lying on that rock, their lives over. I don't want to think about that right now.

We run off the spoke, and onto the beach, pausing by the edge of the jungle and stealing glances behind us. I feel sick when I see the water around the cornucopia red with blood, the careers grouped together and taking down the last few tributes. It seems most just headed for the jungle, whilst some went for the cornucopia. I can see one or two still in the water, struggling to make it for land and I want to help them but I know I can't. I feel a touch on my hand and I see Joseph's face, sympathy and pain written across it.

"We can't save them," he says sadly. I nod, and we turn towards the jungle, racing into it.

We race through the jungle, the heat making us sweat immediately. My already dry throat becomes a lot worse but I ignore the thirst for now. We crash through the bushes, terrified of the thought of the careers being on our trails. I feel more relieved with Joseph, Stanley and Sophia, but I'm also worried. It's clear that Adelina and the other mentors wanted us to all ally up together but I'm still nervous about someone turning on another one in the group, or of worse, being the only ones left alive in the arena. Yet, I'm still relieved to be with Joseph, to spend my last days with him. I shake my head, focusing on running through the jungle. My thoughts can wait.

We've been running an hour when we hear the cannons. There are eight of them; eight tributes dead. I know by looking at the others faces that they're it could be one of our friends because it was clearly none of the careers. Eight doesn't seem like a huge number but I know more will come. I try to force the thought out of my mind and focus on getting away, but my blood spikes with adrenalin and fear starts to pound through me again.

The bloodbath is over for now but the Games have only just begun.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed!**

**Quick question: How would you feel if some of the characters had their numbers for their names, i.e if Maren changed to Six and Stanley changed to Nine. Not all would change, Marina and John would keep their own name, but how would you feel if a few became numbers for various reasons.**

**Thanks and please review!**


	30. Chapter 29 - Water and Blood

**Hi guys!**

**A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed! I got a huge amount of feedback for the last chapter and I loved it all so much! So a huge thank you to everyone!**

**So, who's excited for Fate of Ten! I'm so excited but I hope there aren't any more revelations that'll throw this story off! xD**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **I will have a reason for the numbers; I won't randomly change it. I'm still toying with the idea, so we'll see what happens :D**

\- **Ella will ****_not_**** die but I won't say what will happen to her so I don't give away any spoilers.**

\- **Sophia has mind control, but not element control. She's a year younger than the others and hasn't finished developing all of her legacies.**

\- **Eight will definitely get some bromance time later on – he and the other guys are close, I just haven't shown it as I've focused more on Navrina moments.**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely things you say and also I love the suggestions and ideas for the story, so thank you once more!**

**Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 29 – Water and Blood

**Marina – Day 1 (6 PM)**

Despite the danger of the arena, I can't help but admit that it's beautiful. The jungle is green and lush; I can hear the crickets in the trees and the birds singing. The leaves and moss are a dark green, and there are strange but lovely flowers that I've never seen before. It's like a whole other world in here.

But it's so hot.

I breathe heavily, resting my head in my hands as we take a break. I'm sweating all over; the heat in here is relentless and even in the jungle, away from direct sunlight, it's still baking hot. I'm desperate for a drink of water but we haven't seen any ponds anywhere and there doesn't seem to be any source of water apart from the beach, which is obviously salt water. The others seem as concerned as me, especially when Sophia reappears from the trees, a frown on her face.

"No ponds," she sighs. "But there must be a water source nearby because I've seen animals around," she says, annoyed. I nod, my limbs aching after the long run in the jungle. It was hard not tripping over the vines, especially when we were running uphill. I think we're far away from any other tributes but it's hard to know.

"There weren't any supplies on the cornucopia, just weapons" Joseph wipes his face with the back of his arm. "So there must be water around," he says, almost desperately. Stanley nods from where he's sitting, looking as hot as I feel. He's unzipped his black jumpsuit to his waist showing his vest underneath but it doesn't look like it's helping.

"Maybe we should camp here tonight," I suggest, sensing the rising tensions within the group. None of us really trust each other, despite us being a team for the moment and the last thing we need right now is an argument. I don't want any casualties amongst the group but I wouldn't put any of us past a fight the mood we're all in.

"It's not safe," Stanley says at once, looking around. "There are too many open spaces. Anyone could attack us" Marcus sighs, rubbing his face wearily.

"The whole jungle is like this, Stanley," he points out. "We might as well stay here or we'll be trekking all night. And some of us need a rest" Stanley looks like he wants to argue back at once but Joseph jumps in. It's like he can sense the trouble between us all too.

"We can take it in turns" Joseph offers. "There are five of us, a good number. No one will want to attack a group of five," Sophia nods in agreement, settling onto the ground. Stanley opens his mouth to argue but then decides to give up.

"We need to get water as well as food or we're dead" Marcus sighs. I'm slightly annoyed by him; he's just sat there ever since we stopped, complaining about the heat and the lack of water but he's done nothing. I take a deep breath to calm myself, knowing that this is what the mogs want. They want us to fight with one another.

"Water is the most important thing," Sophia agrees. We all look at each other, a little lost, when an idea hits me.

"I can climb up and have a look at the arena," I point to the huge trees that seem to stretch up to the sky. "See what there is, whether there are any other water sources, like a lake or a stream that could be the other side of the forest," I sling my bow and arrow on my back, adjusting it so that both my arms are free. The others nod, Stanley standing up and stretching his arms.

"I'll try and find some food whilst you do that. Someone's got to do something" he looks pointedly at Marcus and I hurry to a tree, wanting to get out of the way. We're all hot and tired and thirsty and taking it out on each other is natural, but it doesn't mean I like it.

I reach for a nearby branch, hoisting myself up at once. The trees have a rough bark and loads of branches that makes it ideal for climbing and I find myself scaling the tree quicker than I thought I would. I pull myself up and up, the tree even bigger than I thought. I break through leaves and branches, scaring away birds and animals but it renews my hope in the thought of water being nearby. I pull myself higher and higher, the vertigo starting to hit me, but I carry on going, my need for water winning out. I can sense that I'm nearly there because it's starting to lighten and then I burst through the foliage and reach the top.

A fresh breeze rushes around me, carrying away the leaves that were caught up in my hair. I catch my breath at the view, the arena stretched out ahead of me. It's much cooler up here and I smile, enjoying the cool breeze. I look around, taking in the round arena and the beach with the weird spokes of rock. I can see from here that it's like a wheel, with the cornucopia at the centre of it all. It's at the very centre of the arena, which means if there are other water sources, they'll be in the forest. I frown in annoyance, my dry mouth and pounding head really starting to bother me now. I'm desperate for a drink and I know that if I don't have water soon, I'm going to be dangerously dehydrated.

I start to head down to warn the others about this when I notice a glimmer in the sky. I look up, frowning when I notice the darkening sky. It's different, as if there's something moving behind the clouds, but it's not because it's going to be dark soon. I can't explain it and I reach for an arrow, nocking it to my bow. I raise it up in the air, aiming for the sky, curiosity taking over. I don't even care if the mogs see this.

I let go of the arrow and it flies through the air without stopping. I sigh, embarrassed that I thought there was something weird with the sky when there's a banging noise. I look up to see the arrow hit the sky, or what I thought was the sky. It was really the barrier around the arena. There's a zapping noise and for a brief moment I don't see the blue sky, I see the grey metal frame of the arena, with wires and metal structures. Then the sky is blue once more and my arrow falls towards the ground, on fire from hitting the force field.

I watch the arrow as it falls through the air, past the cornucopia and into the waves. The cornucopia glints in the late afternoon sunlight and I know I should go back down and talk to the others, but I want time to think. This is perhaps the only time I'll have to myself. I feel sick as I think of Maren, John and Sarah who could be dead. I think of the poor tributes who were killed today, and I pray that it's not one of my friends. I guess the only way I'll find out is tonight.

I also feel worried about my own predicament. It's lovely being with Joseph and having the other's support and back-up, but we're going to have to split at one point. There can only be one survivor and no matter how much I trust Adelina, she must know that I have to leave my allies at some point. But for now, I should enjoy my last few days with Joseph and the others. If that's even possible.

I head down the tree quickly, slipping a few times in my haste to tell the others what I saw. As I climb down, I notice a weird creature with a beak and scales. It's so strange and I've never seen it before, but what really hits me is that its beak is wet, as if it's just drunk water. I shoot the thing, hoping it'll be edible, and then I continue to climb back down, feeling sad about having to kill the thing, but it may be necessary. We need food after all and it could give us a clue about water. I reach the ground, noticing the frowns on everyone's faces and lack of food. I think they've been arguing but it's hard to tell.

"The arena's round" I say. "The cornucopia is at the centre of it all and if there are any water sources, they are in the jungle" I show them the creature I caught and Stanley takes it from me, hefting it in appreciation. He begins to expertly get rid of its scales and I know that he'll sort dinner out for us. He's clearly done this before.

"Its beak is wet," he notes. "There _must_ be water nearby" I nod, sitting down, noticing that the others have sort of cleared the area a bit of vines and leaves so that it's smoother. Maybe that makes it easier to fight or to sleep.

"I'm so stupid!" Sophia exclaims, making us jump. "We had creatures like this back home! They burrowed into the trees for water," Her face lights up, as she examines the creature. I raise an eyebrow, knowing she was from somewhere hot but I didn't realise it was like this. No wonder she's coping better than the rest of us with this heat.

"So, we just slam into a tree with a knife?" Joseph asks sceptically. I'm a little unsure too but Sophia examines the tree I climbed up, a grin on her face. She lifts her knife but we all know that it won't do anything.

"Here, use this," Marcus hands Stanley the axe, who hefts it easily. He slams it in the tree clumsily and I peer closer, desperate for water. My throat and mouth are dry and I feel faint, as if I could keel over soon.

"Deeper" Sophia says and Stanley nods, sweating as he shoves the axe further into the tree. Joseph helps and then I notice a tiny trickle of water coming from the tree.

"There!" I say in excitement. Sophia whoops with joy and Stanley shoves the axe in one more time with renewed energy. The tree just seems to give in and the tiny trickle of water increases. Stanley bends down, taking a long drink, before stepping back and letting us all have a go.

We spend the next half hour rehydrating ourselves and cooking the food on a small fire. We're not too bothered about anyone attacking us because we're such a large group and we have some good fighters. It's like all our moods are improved drastically once we have water and food, and I feel myself smiling, feeling hopeful for the first time since I've been in here. The only thing that can bring me down is thinking about Hector but I push the thought away before it can make me feel sick. There's nothing I can do as awful as I feel. I can only pray that he's all right and they've stopped hurting him. He didn't do anything too bad; I've just got to remember that.

"I'm glad you're all right," Joseph says quietly as we sit next to each other, eating our dinner. I could eat a lot more right now but I'm so relieved to have something to drink that I don't even care that much.

"Me too," I whisper, smiling at him. I think of last night, it feels like it was years ago, and a blush makes it way onto my cheeks. "I can't tell you how happy I was when I saw you alive" Joseph grins, opening his mouth to reply but he's interrupted by the anthem of the Capital. My stomach drops at once; it's time to see those who died.

I can barely see through the foliage the night sky but there's a gap big enough to see the large screen above the arena, the faces of the dead tributes being shown. My heart hammers in my chest as I think of my other friends in here. I hope I don't see their faces on the screen. I hope they're still out there alive, even if they are my combatants.

Sansa, Lucia, Levi, Liana…I don't recognise any of the dead to my relief, but even as the screen disappears, I can sense the mood has dropped. We've been reminded that we're still enemies and there can only be one survivor. I find myself looking at the others as if they're about to attack, despite us all working together only half an hour ago for water and food.

"We might as well sleep," Sophia breaks the silence, her voice and face emotionless. "We might not have that chance later on" I nod, not feeling at all sleepy. In fact, I feel more alert than ever and I know that I can't sleep at all. I'm too nervous about my allies, my enemies in the jungle, the Gamemakers…

"I'll take first watch," I say. The others nod, stretching out on the ground. Joseph lies so he's very close to me, as if to protect me. I know he's the only one I can trust in here, no matter what happens. I know that I'll never have to worry about him turning on me.

"Get some sleep," I gently brush his hair back. I can't help it and I can tell he doesn't mind at all.

"Wake me so I can take over," he whispers. I nod, settling in for my shift, trying to get comfortable. It's going to be a long night.

Xxx

**Maren – Day 1 (7 PM)**

Even as night falls, the arena is still incredibly hot. I wipe the sweat away from my forehead, wishing there could be a cool breeze or a pond to cool off in, but there's nothing. I'm hot and tired, but at least we've had something to eat and drink. We only managed to get a drink of water because I used my element legacy to draw the water out of the plants and ground, but even that is warm and tastes weird. It's better than not having water at all though.

It's turning dark in the arena, and the screen with the dead tributes has already shown. I didn't recognize any of the tributes in the sky but it didn't mean that it didn't hurt seeing their faces. I think of the girl John saved; she could have been up there as well if not for his actions. Even though I thought it was stupid to delay our running, but I know why he did it. I think it's part of the healing legacy he has to want to save people.

"At least we know the others are alive," John chews on his dinner, his face thoughtful. "Their faces weren't in the sky tonight" Sarah nods, looking hopeful but I'm less optimistic.

"For now anyway," I shrug. "It's only been a few hours" John nods, his face falling a little. I can tell he's worried about them, after all, they're still our friends and it's only understandable to want to protect them. Even I find it hard not to worry, despite all my attempts to distance myself from them all.

"Stanley will be all right and so will Joseph" Sarah sighs. "It's Marina I'm worried about. She's not made for the arena," she frowns, rubbing her face. I scowl, annoyed, despite myself. Sarah is in no place to comment on other people's abilities, especially when she would have died last year if not for John.

"Marina can handle herself" I reply. "She's stronger than people think," I snap slightly. Sarah flushes in embarrassment and we all fall silent. I try and think of something else to talk about, to distract ourselves.

"What should we do about nighttime?" Sarah asks, pushing her lank hair away from her face. She and John are suffering in the heat and their fair skin has burned more than mine. I focus on the ground, drawing more water out of it and into the makeshift bowl we made out of leaves. It's not much but it's something. I'm hoping that a sponsor will send us a bottle of water at some point but for the moment we're on our own.

"We take it in turns" I reply. It doesn't take much effort at all to draw the water out and soon the leaf bowl is filled with water. John reaches out and takes a drink, passing it to Sarah once he's done. She takes a long drink, almost guzzling the water. She's not used to being thirsty or hungry, not like John and I are. Years of being hungry have left their mark on me and an empty stomach doesn't bother me in the way it bothers Sarah.

"I can go first if you want" John offers. I shrug, not that tired. Even after spending the afternoon running from the tributes, I'm still alert. I know they'll be combing through the jungle, trying to find tributes to kill and I don't want to be one of them. I want to be alert and make sure that if we have to run from the careers, we have a good head start.

"I'm ok if you want to sleep," I reply. John looks as awake as I am, but Sarah eagerly settles down, her head pillowed on her hand. John looks at her fondly and even I'm not scornful of her for the moment. She did help save my life after all. There's a long silence as Sarah drops off, John and I staying away in case the careers decide to visit.

"You know, what you did earlier…" I sigh, cleaning my sword. John's eyes are fixed on me, bright in the approaching darkness. "I thought it was stupid but I know why you did it," I finally say. John nods, reaching out and gently brushing a lock of Sarah's hair that fell on her cheek. I think she's already asleep because she doesn't stir or do anything.

"I couldn't let her die when there was something that I could do," he replies softly, his voice hushed.

"I know" I shrug, dropping my weapon and reaching for the water bowl. They are holes in it and I watch as some water trickles out onto the ground. I drink the last of the water, wishing that we had a water bottle instead. "You're a good person. You care about others"

"And you think you're a bad person? Because you care about surviving?" John asks. It's like he can read my mind and I keep my gaze lowered, unnerved that he understands me.

"I _am_ a bad person," I whisper. "You shouldn't have saved me…we're still competitors despite everything. Once the careers are dead we'll have to part ways" I sigh, looking at him full on. John looks a little sick but he nods, still as solid as ever. He never seems to be doubtful or unsure of himself and I can't help but admire that.

"Well then I should just enjoy the moments with you before you go," he says softly. I nod, smiling sadly.

"Remember when we used to work in the pens together? Back before the tour? Life was so easy back then," I say wistfully. John laughs gently, his face filled with nostalgia.

"And you used to hate cleaning out the pens. Bet you'd trade that any day with this," he says. I grin, thinking of those times. I wish that we could go back to that time. Sarah snuffles slightly in her sleep and she rolls over, closer to John. His hand lingers on Sarah's cheek and I can read the conflict in his mind.

"You still love her, don't you?" I whisper. John frowns, but doesn't say anything. "I don't blame you, you know. She's…she's _good. _You could do a lot worse," I admit. John looks surprised and then a smile forms on his face, making him look younger than he is.

"Are you getting soppy on me?" he laughs. I roll my eyes, shoving him lightly.

"Get some sleep John," I snort. "You look shattered" He nods, settling down, lying close to Sarah. Seeing the two of them close to one another, matching with their blonde hair and blue eyes sends a pang through my chest and I turn away. I watch the area, refusing to look at the two sleeping tributes next to me.

Xxx

I shift, yawning into my hand. I've been awake for several hours, and I should wake John up soon to swap over. I move to wake him up when the weird ringing noise starts again; this time it only rings nine times. It's weird because it appears almost every hour, like a clock, but I don't understand why they would have that in the arena. Time doesn't matter in here, staying alive does. I sigh, shifting back on my heels and reaching for my weapons, wanting to keep them close.

There's a light pattering sound and then a drop of rain falls on me. Just like everything else in here, it's warm. I brush it away from my cheek, annoyed by this new development. The last thing we need in here is rain; we've got enough problems to face and being wet isn't necessary. More drops start to fall on me, thick and heavy. There's a sweet, sickly scent in the air and I want to get away from here, and find somewhere more sheltered.

"John, Sarah, wake up," I shake them lightly, the rain really starting to fall around us. The rain is sticky and starting to dry on my skin, almost like a crust. I have no idea what kind of rain this is but I don't like it. It feels like the mogs have done something to it.

"What is this?" John gets up at once, coughing slightly at the smell. Sarah wakes up too, her hair and skin darker in the rain. A lot darker. I look down at my skin, a sense of dread washing over me as the rain picks up to a torrential level. The droplets slam down on us, thick and heavy, and my skin feels caked in this weird stuff.

"John, shine your lumen," I say, the rain smelling eerily familiar but I don't know why. John frowns in confusion, pushing his sodden hair away from his face, but does as I ask him to. He shines his lumen and then I notice that the rain is dark red. Dark red liquid. Sickly scent. Sticking to my skin. Salty, metal-like taste. It's not rain at all.

"It's blood!" Sarah screams, horror filling her face. I retch at the realization, grabbing my weapons at once. The scent is stifling me but the rain is continuous and heavy and hot.

"Run!" I yell at them. John grabs his stuff and Sarah does the same, and then we're running as fast as we can.

The blood falls down around us, the scent making me feel sick. My skin is caked with the stuff and all I can smell and taste and see is the blood. It gets so bad that I can barely see the others and we have to stop running, the blood pelting down on us, beating us down. I grip their hands, gagging at the scent, at the taste. I feel like choking, like throwing up, like curling into a ball and giving up.

"Get to the beach!" John shines his lumen and I make out the glint of moonlight on water. I stagger forwards, feeling weak as the blood pelts down on me, the liquid drying onto my skin. I feel like I've got layers and layers of it on me. I cough, wiping my mouth, and the taste of the metallic liquid is back in my mouth. Sarah stops nearby, bending over as she throws up on the ground.

"Come on, we're not far!" John yells but I can tell he's feeling weaker now, as if the rain is sapping our energy. I try to summon my element legacy to keep the blood off us as we try to get to the beach but it doesn't work. Blood doesn't count as an element apparently.

We stagger through the trees, the blood warm and sticky. I feel sick and trembling all over, trying not to think of whose blood this is and how many people must have died to supply this amount of blood. I close my mouth, trying not to breath, and I can barley manage to breath through my nose. I can't see very well and have to continuously wipe the blood from my eyes. My hair is caked to my head and neck, and I just want this nightmare to end.

"Almost there!" I yell when I see the beach through a break in the trees. Sarah and John stagger behind me, both retching into their hands. I burst through the tree line and it's as if it suddenly stops raining. I can still hear the thundering patter of the rain behind me in the trees, but the beach is empty of rain. I'm filled with relief at the end of the nightmare, despite the blood covering me all over.

I fall to my knees, gasping for breath as blood rolls off me, pooling onto the sand. John and Sarah stagger out behind me, Sarah sobbing. My heart thunders in my chest and my head pounds with pain, the sickly sent making the feeling worse. I crawl towards the water, feeling the blood drying onto my skin, sand starting to stick to me too.

I crawl into the water, feverishly washing the blood off, trying not to throw up when I see the sickening red liquid wash away. I dunk myself into the water, desperately trying to rinse the blood out of my hair. I run my hands through my hair frantically, the salt water washing away the sent of the blood from me. But even whilst it leaves me, it seems to hang around in the water around me. I swim away in a cleaner part of the ocean, continuing to wash the hated liquid off me. It's so nice to have the sickly scent gone that I stay under water as long as I can, my burning lungs forcing me to finally surface.

I don't know how long it takes to wash the blood off me. Nearby, John and Sarah are just as feverish as me, desperately scrubbing their skin with water and sand. We look like we've come from a nightmare, all of us covered in red liquid and gasping for breath. I can still hear the thundering blood in the forest behind us and I refuse to leave the beach, even though it's dangerous. I'm so relieved to be free from the nightmare for now. Yet no matter how hard I scrub, my skin doesn't feel clean. I rinse my mouth with salt water, desperate to rid the taste of blood from my mouth but it still lingers.

I don't think it'll ever really go away.

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**Hope you all enjoyed! I know there wasn't any action in Marina's POV but that will not last for long at all, I promise :D**

**Please review!**


	31. Chapter 30 - Challenges

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love them all so much and a huge thank you to everyone who supported me! **

**So I haven't been able to read Fate of Ten yet due to later release dates but I do know the general idea of what happens and I love spoilers. So feel free to PM or review your thoughts about it! :D**

**So, hope you enjoy and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 30 - Challenges

**Marina – Day 1 (Ten PM)**

I jerk awake when there's a large chiming noise in the arena, almost like a clock. My heart hammers with fear, and I look around me, annoyed that I fell asleep in my shift. My bow and arrow are ready at once, ready to kill anyone who comes close. After ten rings the noise stops and I relax back slightly, still waiting for someone to appear. I'm still furious though; I can't believe I fell asleep. The others are still sleeping nearby, apparently tired enough to sleep through the noise.

I look around, just to make sure there aren't any enemies in the dark but I can tell there aren't any. I'm so grateful for my legacy of night vision right now; it's not nearly as useless as I thought it once was. Joseph is smiling in his sleep and I reach out, gently stroking his hair back from his sweaty forehead. He sighs, rolling over closer to me and I continue to stroke his hair back.

As I settle down to continue my shift, there's a strange whispering noise and I look around, frowning in confusion as I notice a white haze creeping towards us. It's like it's just appeared because I didn't see it before. I feel sick as I stare at it, nerves and adrenalin kicking in even though I have no idea why. The white fog comes closer, not making any sound and it's scary how fast it moves as it floats towards me. I feel like I should move but I'm almost transfixed. It comes within touching distance and I reach out with my fingers, expecting it to feel cool. The fog touches my fingers and then agony races through me.

I scream and jump back, rolling off the small rock that I was sat on, my hand feeling like it's on fire. I watch in horror as boils appear on the skin, and then I'm screaming for the others to get up, to run. I hear them jumping to their feet, and I watch as Stanley wrenches the axe out of the tree, our only way of getting water. Sophia grabs her weapons, dragging Marcus up. I stagger to my feet, grabbing my bow and arrow, as the fog comes closer and closer. Joseph grabs my arm, teleporting me away a short distance away where the others are and then we start running.

It's a desperate run, all of us crashing through the trees as the fog gains on us. No matter how fast we sprint through the forest, the fog is always there, always seconds behind us. A sickly scent fills the air, reminding me of its deadly presence, and my heart pounds in my chest through exertion and panic. Marcus trails behind us all and I can tell that he's the slowest. Stanley and Sophia are ahead and Joseph is close to joining them, but I don't want to leave Marcus behind. I know I'm much faster than him but I just can't stand the thought of letting him die.

Marcus trips over a branch on the ground and tumbles to his knees, breathing heavily. I skid to a stop, noticing the fog only seconds away. I grab his hand, trying to drag him to his feet but it's too late. The fog hits us and I can't help but scream, the pain stronger than I remembered. I stagger back, my face burning from where it was hit and my hands and lower arms are covered in boils. Marcus twitches on the ground, the fog crawling over him and I grab him, dragging him away.

"Come on!" Joseph grabs me, fear on his face, and tries to teleport away. _Tries_. It seems he can't and I think of the sickly scent of the fog. I bet there's a chemical in there that takes away our legacies, like the fire did in Round 1 a year ago.

Barely hesitating in our panic, we race away from the fog but I'm starting to feel the effects. My body feels like it's slowing down and the pain is getting worse with every step. Marcus is really lagging behind and it takes all of Joseph's efforts to drag him along behind us. We run along and then suddenly we're tumbling down a hill, rolling over and over, the branches and roots tearing at us until we land at the bottom. I lie on the ground, almost sobbing in pain caused by the fog. I can feel someone leaning over me but the pain is just so bad and I know that I can't even heal myself.

"What's going on?! The fog's coming! Get them up!" I hear Stanley yelling nearby, trying to drag Marcus to his feet. The smoke hasn't hit them though; they don't know what it's like.

"It hurts" I whimper, the boils on my hand looking hideous. My face is in agony and I can imagine it looks as bad, if not worse. Joseph bends down, scooping me up and slinging me gently onto his back. Stanley does the same to Marcus, but the fog gains on us. Joseph manages to run out of the way but Stanley and Sophia are caught in it, their screams reaching me. I watch as they stagger out but the boils are starting to form on their skin too. Sophia seemed to get it really bad for some reason, maybe because she's smaller.

"Come on!" Joseph yells and then he turns to run.

We stagger along, the fog just inches behind us. We fall a few times in the darkness but Joseph is back up pretty quickly. But Sophia and Stanley find it harder and harder; the more the fog touches them, the harder it is to get up. Marcus looks half-dead on Stanley's back and I can tell it's taking all of Stanley's strength to stay upright. Joseph tries to drag them along but even he can't pull everyone along and I can tell we're reaching the end.

Joseph trips over a root and we fall to the ground, the fog on top of us at once. Joseph's scream is filled with agony and I drag him away, despite my own pain as the fog touches me. I can't let him be hurt too. I pull him out of the way and we manage to stagger a few more paces, thankfully downhill and further away from the fog, but I know this is it. Sophia is on her hands and knees, boils covering her body as she sobs in pain. Stanley is down, trying to get back up but it's hard with the pain and impossible with Marcus. His limbs are twitching uncontrollably and he can't seem to control himself.

"Come on, come on" I sob, trying to pull Joseph along. He staggers to his feet, and I get to mine, knowing that I have to move despite the pain. I grab Sophia, she's so light, and pull her onto my back. She's still sobbing and I can tell she's been hit badly. Joseph does the same to Stanley but it's a struggle. I'm still in pain and so is Joseph, but if we don't move, we're all dead. Marcus staggers along but he looks so weak.

"Come on Marcus!" I call desperately. He looks unfocused and I'm aware of the fog just inches away from us now. He looks at me sadly and then his eyes land on Sophia, an almost wistful look in his eyes. I think she's half unconscious because I can only hear her breathing.

"Look after her out there" Marcus finally says. "She's a good person, even if she doesn't realise it" I frown in confusion and then my mouth opens in horror when he turns to face the fog. I scream his name, trying to reach out and stop him, but then he runs forward, _into_ the fog. I hear Marcus scream a few times, his body jerking around in the fog as it starts to kill him. He screams again, a long drawn out scream of pain, and then there's a boom of a distant cannon.

He's dead. As quickly as that he's dead.

"Marina, time to go!" Joseph yells. "We need to go!" I stare at the fog where Marcus' body is and then I turn to run, the tears streaming down my face.

I don't know how long we run but it's easier without Marcus, as awful as that makes me feel. The pain is agonising but my desire to live is stronger. Stanley soon wakes up enough that he can run without Joseph's help. Joseph helps me with Sophia and we manage to evade the fog long enough to escape it's deadly pain. But as we stagger along, the fog staying right with us, I know that we can't run forever.

We reach another hill and my feet go out from under me as I'm caught by surprise. I tumble down the hill, Sophia falling from my back. I'm winded as I roll over and over, twigs and branches scratching me just like before. I forgot how many hills and valleys were in this jungle. We all land in a heap, gasping at the bottom of the hill, the pain too much to handle. I roll onto my back, the fog coming closer and closer. I know this is it. The end. I can't run anymore and I know Sophia can't even get up. I hear Joseph and Stanley staggering back to help and I can see they're in the same miserable state I'm in. None of us can do this anymore. I turn to see the fog coming close and I shut my eyes, waiting for the pain.

Nothing happens.

I open my eyes, gasping in amazement as I watch the fog rise up, as if pressing against an invisible glass wall. It's like there's a barrier between the fog and us. I breathe heavily, gasping for breath and I can see the equal confusion on the others' faces. But Joseph is grinning and Stanley lies back in relief, a laugh escaping his lips. Sophia groans with pain and I smile, lying back and staring at the sky.

"We did it," I gasp. "We're alive" Stanley laughs again but I'm in so much pain. I roll over, wincing when I see the horrendous boils on my hands and arms and I feel the pain on my face. I know it'll be awful. But until my legacy returns there's no way to heal them.

"There's a pond here," I hear Joseph saying distantly. Typical: when we're not looking for water, a pond just appears out of nowhere.

I crawl over, every movement agony in my body and I'm gasping through my pain. Tears streak down my face but I reach the pond all the same, desperate for a drink. Joseph takes a deep breath and plunges his hands in, screaming in agony. I watch in horrified fascination, as white liquid seems to pour out from the boils in his hands. Joseph breaths raggedly next to me, his face filled with confusion.

"It feels better" he rubs the back of his hands, a look of relief passing over his face. "Try it Marina," He continues to rub his hands, the white liquid seeping out of his skin.

I do the same as him, muffling my scream as best I can. The white liquid leaves my hands too and the pain starts to disappear as a horrible itchy sensation settles it. But as soon as I start to rub the back of my hands, more white liquid leaving my hands, the itching sensation goes and my skin feels as good as new. I pull out my hands, and there even any scabs there to show what we've been through. I gasp in shock, my face still aching in pain.

I submerge myself completely, Joseph doing the same next to me and our screams fill the night air. It's agony at first but then the relief is so good after a while that I can't help but laugh. Stanley joins after a while and then when our skin is boil-free and the pain is gone, we drag Sophia in. The pain wakes her up and she thrashes around, desperately trying to escape the pain, but Stanley's grip is too strong.

"It's ok, it's ok" he says, almost soothing for him. It's weird. He strokes her hair back roughly, avoiding my curious glance. "The pain will go, I promise" Stanley promises. Sophia writhes around but soon she relaxes as the pain disappears. The pool is filled with the white liquid and I don't dare drinking any of it in case it's poisonous. We float around in the pool, enjoying the cool water and the lack of pain. It's so nice to be cool and pain-free, even if there could be danger lurking around the corner.

"Where's Marcus?" Sophia asks after a long silence, but she must know. I blink back the tears in my eyes, thinking of him running into the fog. His screams. I know he died to save us; he couldn't keep up with us and we couldn't carry him as well as the other two. He knew it was better for him to die so that we could try to run without him; we'd never have left him behind otherwise. But it still hurts to think that we might have been able to save him.

"He's dead," I whisper. Sophia nods and then continues to float. No tears. No screaming at us for letting him down. She just continues to float around, accepting his death. Somehow that's worse.

"It's a shame we don't have a bottle," Joseph mutters, sitting up in the water. "We could have done with bottling this" he trails his hands in the water. I smile at him, about to reply when Stanley clears his throat.

"Hey, guys…Is it me, or is that monkey staring at us?" he asks, pointing slowly to a branch nearby. I turn, frowning when I notice the animal staring at us, its teeth bared in anger. The look in its eyes chills me and I know that it's a mutt at once. Normal animals don't hate like that. I look closer at the animal, taking in its thick fur and sharp talons that could slice me in half. Its teeth are as sharp as knives and I watch the mean glint in its eyes, as if it's looking forward to killing us.

"Where are the weapons?" Sophia asks, standing up slowly. I point to the pile that we left behind as we healed ourselves in the water. I notice that she still has her knives in her belt, but she's the only one that does. I try to pull my bow to me with telekinesis, but my legacies aren't working yet; the fog is still affecting us even now.

"There are more coming," Joseph whispers, renewed fear in his voice, as the branches start filling up with the mutts. Distantly, I'm aware of the ringing noise again, this time counting to eleven but I'm so preoccupied with the monkeys that I don't care. Stanley slowly tries to stand in the water, the weapons still a few paces away. I try to move as well, my breath catching when I see more and more monkeys appear, their teeth bared. Adrenalin begins to pound through my veins once more and I want my bow more than anything.

"Get to the weapons" Stanley says in a low voice. "And then head for the beach" he points behind us and I turn, seeing the glint of the water and the cornucopia through the trees. He lunges for the weapons and a monkey launches itself at him. Stanley grabs the axe, swinging it into the monkey's chest. I hear the thud, an animalistic scream, and then I see the monkey lying on the ground, dead.

The rest of the monkeys leap forwards and all hell breaks loose.

Xxx

**John – Day 2 (4 AM)**

The moon shines brightly in the sky, the reflection glinting on the gently splashing water. The waves wash up the beach, lapping against my ankles and cooling my feet. I can hear the crickets in the trees, the sound not even that annoying, despite the constant noise. I close my eyes, breathing in the salty smell of the sea and I could almost be far away from the arena, somewhere peaceful, where death isn't around the corner.

"I've finally got rid of the blood," Sarah smiles, wading out of the sea, wringing her hair out. "It's like I'm free," she laughs gently. I grin, as she sits down next to me, close enough for me to feel her warmth in the warm night air. I thought it might cool down once the sun had gone, but it's just as hot and humid as ever. I never thought I'd wish for a cool wind more than now.

"It was disgusting," I reply, scrubbing my sword with sand to get rid of the dried blood. "I don't even want to know how they got that much blood," I shudder, wincing as I think of the sickly sweet stench and the heavy thundering blood. I'm not even sure how we made it out in the end; it wasn't as though the blood was deadly itself, but the fear and panic it caused was more than enough to make us give up. I think of the desperate running, the choking on the sickly liquid and I shudder again, trying to forget.

"I don't think I've ever seen Maren look so freaked out," Sarah says softly, her eyes on our sleeping ally. Maren's curled up in a ball, her sword in her hand. She's holding it like you would hold a toy.

"Even Maren has weak spots," I reply softly. "She just knows how to hide them" I watch Maren closely; there's the tiniest smile on her face. I wonder if she's dreaming of her sisters or her mother, who she's so protective over. I wonder if she's having a nice dream, an escape from the nightmare all around us.

"She can't seem to hide them from you," Sarah replies softly, her face lowered to the ground. I can't see her expression very well in the darkness and she continues to stare at the ground, fiddling with her unloaded crossbow.

"Everyone needs a friend," I say gently. Sarah bites her lip and then looks up at me, her face vulnerable.

"And that's all you are? Her friend?" she whispers. I frown in confusion, not sure where she's going with this. Can't she see that Maren and I are just friends? Yes, we might get on well, but that means nothing next to my feelings for Sarah.

"That's all we are," I promise her, reaching out and lacing my fingers with hers. A small smile appears on her face and I swear, her eyes light up. I feel pretty happy too; if I'm going to die in here, and it's likely that I will, I want to enjoy my last few days.

"I'm sorry about distancing myself from you," I tell her softly, not even paying attention to the surroundings like I should be doing. The waves still gently lap in the background and the crickets in the trees add to the romantic atmosphere. With the moon shining on her, Sarah looks angelic and it's like all of my feelings for her finally break free.

"It's not a problem," Sarah says softly. "I know why you did it and I understand," I shake my head, needing her to know how I feel. She needs to know the truth.

"It didn't work though," I say quietly. "In fact, I think it did the exact opposite. I still love you. I always have…I always will," Sarah sucks her breath in at that, her eyes shining with tears. She's beautiful, so beautiful that it hurts me to look at her. I can't help myself; I lean forwards and kiss her, knowing that this is exactly what Henri doesn't want. But I have to.

After so long being apart, it's the most wonderful thing in the world. I hold Sarah close, my arms wrapping around her, as if I can protect her forever. It's so nice to kiss her, to hold her to me, but I can taste the salty tears from both of us. This moment is bittersweet; no matter how much we love each other, one of us or both of us is going to die. But this is the closest I've gotten to forgetting the Games.

"Don't, don't cry," I pull back, brushing the tears from her cheeks. Sarah smiles sadly, her face painfully beautiful. "I can't bear it when you cry," I whisper. She nods, her lips trembling slightly.

"It's just…I don't want either of us to die," she replies. "But if it comes down to it, I want you to live more than me," I shake my head at once, about to say something, but she presses her fingers to my lips to stop me talking. There's a sad but determined smile on her face.

"No, listen John," she says firmly. "You have so much to do. You're a leader; people follow you because they believe in you. Even Maren, of all people, would follow you. You need to survive, to finish what we all started," she says, her eyes shining brightly. I shake my head again but she continues.

"What am I to them? I'm not a leader, not a fighter. If anyone needs to live, it's you," she smiles softly, her face filled with peace, and I know she's been thinking about this for a long time. "Maybe, if things were different…we could have been together forever. The world would have been ours" she smiles sorrowfully, tears in her eyes. "But we're not in that world, John,"

I nod, blinking back tears. There's nothing I can say. She knows we'll never be together, that we'll be separated permanently by these Games no matter what happens. It strikes me then how brave she is to have come to terms with this and still been able to smile and be strong. I reach out for her, pulling her close to me, and our lips meet once more. The world just seems to melt away and all that matters is her. It's always been her. I don't know how long we kiss for, but it doesn't feel like enough and I can tell she feels the same. We hold each other close, arms around each other and I know that if I had my way, I'd never let her go.

There's a sudden boom of a cannon and I pull away at once, reaching for my sword, expecting careers to come crashing out of the trees. Sarah grabs her crossbow and then Maren is awake, sword in hand. We stand around tensely, eyes combing the surrounding area but there's no movement. I'm starting to relax when I notice a helicopter hovering over the other side of the jungle, the metallic claw moving down to pick up the dead tribute. I watch closely, trying to make out the tribute, but I can't see well enough. I hope desperately that it's not one of our friends, but I can't be sure.

"How many are dead now? Eight? Nine?" Sarah asks, her lips red from earlier. I wonder if Marne knew what happened but she's all business as she gathers up our belongings, looking around warily.

"Ten" she replies. "Eight in the bloodbath, one in the middle of the night when you were sleeping and one just now," she counts off. I frown in concern, already aware of how the numbers are diminishing and not one of my friends are dead yet. That's both a blessing and a curse.

"Come on, let's go" Maren says. "I'll bet that was the careers and I don't want to be on the beach, even if it means we have to go back into the jungle," I nod, heading back for the jungle, when that horrible chiming noise strikes again. This time there are four chimes before the arena falls silent once more. Sarah shudders next to me, and I move closer, linking my hand with hers.

"I don't like that noise," Maren takes in our linked hands but says nothing. If she disapproves, it's hard to tell. "But I don't know why" I nod in agreement, about the say something, when there's a large snapping noise.

I watch as opposite us, the trees start bending forwards in weird ways and hundreds of loud snaps fill the air. There's a weird rushing noise and then I watch in horror as a wave thunders out of the trees and onto the beach. The water rushes towards us and I brace for the impact but then as the wave hits the centre island, it moves upwards, as if stopped by an invisible wall. The wave collapses back to the water, the waves washing over towards us but nowhere near as deadly as the one earlier. The waves wash over our feet, the deadly force gone.

"What the hell?" Sarah whispers. Maren frowns, a calculated look on her face.

"Let's go," she says at last. "I think that we might be safe if we stick to this part. But it's safe to say that the Gamemakers are having a lot of fun," she frowns. I shoot one last look around us and then we head into the jungle once more.

Xxx

**Adam **

The control room is incredible, despite the morbid intention of its existence. There are rows of touchscreen tables in semicircles; the normal Gamemakers sat behind them, their fingers flying over the sensitive screens. In the centre of the room, is a large holographic form of the arena, and you can see the jungle stretching around the cornucopia and the spokes of rock. I watch as one Gamemaker presses a few buttons and the temperature starts to increase in the arena. It's going to be another hot day.

"We have ten dead so far," Claudius says, shuffling his papers. We're in the meeting room above the control room but with a glass window so we can see the Gamemakers. We're able to communicate to those below us via a speaker system, but at the moment, they can't hear a word we're saying as we plan the rest of the Games. The council members are usually in here but they've been kicked out for now. Besides, they do nothing so it doesn't matter.

"Not bad, considering this is the second day. Maybe we should slow things down; we don't want the Games over in a few days," one of the other Gamemakers says, drinking from his coffee cup. Claudius frowns, his eyes flittering across his papers.

"I think it would be better to get these Games over with as quickly as possible," he argues. "We have trouble all over Lorien. The sooner the Games are over, the better. Besides, we have strict orders concerning those from last year," he reminds the others, and I can see them nod in agreement. My stomach churns with worry; they want to kill the very ones that I've been told to keep alive. I'm being torn in two directions and I have no idea what to do.

"Apart from Marina," Lavinia points out. "We were told she has to win," she adds. Claudius nods, rubbing his temples wearily. Some of the others start talking all at once, their voices becoming louder and louder as they try to talk over one another. I can tell that the Head Gamemaker wants us all gone; we're not helping at all. He slams his hands on the table in agitation, a frown on his face.

"Leave me," he says. "Nothing of importance will take place today. I'll arrange a meeting with our Beloved Leader," he sighs. "These Games are too important to be left to the likes of you," I see some of the others become angry at the insult but I'm relieved to be dismissed. I need to talk to Henri at once.

I stand up, leaving the room quickly in relief, the others following slowly. I haven't had much impact in these Games at all, which I'm relieved about; I don't want to kill those who I have to protect. Henri made it very clear to me that the Victors from last year's Games are vitally important and their deaths would be disastrous. He hasn't told me everything that he's planned but I know that he's finally starting to trust me.

I make my way to Henri's apartment quickly, the route complicated enough that I could tell if someone is following me. Not that I'm worried. Far too much is going on in Lorien; the mogs have much bigger things to worry about. Uprisings are becoming more and more common and even the Scouts are losing impact in towns. The Loric just don't seem to care about death anymore; all that matters is fighting back. Navaria has an open rebellion now and despite the Scouts sent there to combat the problem, the Loric are still fighting back. Other cities are starting to follow and I know that if things don't stop soon, open war will be upon us. I'm not sure whether to be exhilarated or terrified; I may be a traitor but I'm still a mog.

I knock on the door, Henri opening it soon after. He smiles when he sees me, letting me in quickly. I know that he's found my information about the uprisings in Lorien very useful and he's starting to trust my judgement. He has more access to information that ever before thanks to me and I know that it's helpful for him to know insider information about the Games as well. As Henri locks the door securely behind him, I settle down on a nearby sofa, pulling out some papers that I'd hidden under my jacket. I feel like a spy doing this, and it's a weird feeling: a mixture of terrifying and exhilarating.

_Look at you, Adam the spy,_ Hannah teases from nearby. I roll my eyes, trying not to snort. The others still don't know about Hannah and they never will. That is one secret I can never tell.

"Here," I pass Henri the papers. "I copied these from my father's office. I don't have access to the most important ones but these will do for now. According to my father's information, there have been more and more uprisings, even in the South now, which used to be peaceful" Henri nods, his eyes flitting over the pages, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"There don't seem to be many places that haven't been touched now," he notes with interest. I nod, relaxing into the pillows, a headache coming on. I have so much to do and time is running out.

"The mogs don't suspect a Resistance movement? They think these are isolated events?" he asks, skimming over the pages. I shake my head, a frown on my face.

"They definitely suspect a bigger movement. Only, they don't know where the centre is and who is in charge. They're lost," I shrug. "Besides, they're too worried about controlling the obvious uprisings instead of the hidden movement" I add. It's weird, thinking that I'm one of the Loric now. I still feel some tie to my race despite the atrocities they perform every day. I would never work with them, but it still feels wrong, especially when I go home to my family. I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully support the Loric because of my genetics.

"They'll never find it," Alicia strolls into the room, a fierce grin on her face. I avoid looking at her, feeling the same mixture of guilt, familiarity and grief when I see her. "The mogs are too scared of Lorien to explore it," she settles down on the sofa next to Henri, her eyes resting on me.

"The problem isn't mobilizing Lorien," I say. "Or worrying about whether the mogs will find the Resistance movement. It's the Games," I frown in concern. Henri looks at me keenly, putting the papers down at once.

"What do you mean?" he asks in concern.

"We had orders from above earlier today, stating that all Victors from last years Games were to be killed," I tell him. Henri nods, but I can see the alarm in his eyes. He must have suspected but this confirms his fears. "Apart from, Maria…Mary…I can't remember her name," I blush.

"_Marina_?" Henri frowns. "Why her?" I shrug in confusion. I don't know the girl but there doesn't seem anything too special about her, not in the way that some of the others are. But then maybe that's why they want her to win: because she's harmless to them.

"I have no idea," I reply. "That's what we were told though," I sigh. "The Mogs are scared. They want these Games over as quickly as possible" Henri nods again, standing up. I can sense the urgency in him at this news.

"We need to get them out of there," he finally says. Even Alicia looks serious, her arms balanced on her knees. "I need to go at once" he grabs the papers and heads for the door, his movements jerky with suppressed tension. "There are things that cannot be put off" he leaves the room, and I can't help but feel a little sorry for him. He has so much more to do than me; how does he cope?

"It's a good thing I know how to entertain myself the amount of times he leaves me," Alicia rolls her eyes. Her tone is friendly but I can sense her hatred towards me buried deep within her. I know she still blames me for Hannah's death, and why shouldn't she? I still blame myself, every day.

_You shouldn't, I don't, _Hannah says softly. I ignore her, focusing on Alicia instead.

"Why are you here?" I ask her curiously. "You weren't part of the Resistance when Hannah was selected for the Games. Unless you're a genius, there's no way that you'll have risen in the ranks that quickly over the past two years" Alicia's smile disappears but her eyes stay on me, calculating and cold.

"You're right, I'm not highly ranked," she scowls. "I'm just a solider. But I guess they felt sorry for me," she shrugs. "Maybe they thought I had the right to know the mog that killed my sister,"

_Alicia, stop being such an idiot!_ Hannah growls in annoyance. _He didn't kill me! He tried to save me! Man, sometimes you can be such an idiot sometimes! You never listen to me! It's so-_

_She can't hear you; you know that? _ I remind her calmly. She spits out a number of expletives and I ignore her, not needing her angry ranting in my mind.

"I never wanted her to die," I whisper to Alicia. It's the first time that we've been alone since she came here and it's the only time that I can admit everything to her. "I loved her," Alicia's face pales but she tries to keep her argument.

"Liar! Mogs can't love!" she snarls. "They only hate and kill!" I shake my head sadly, trying to fight the tears in my eyes. I can feel Hannah trying to support me but having her ghostly presence just makes it worse. It reminds me of what I could have done.

"I did. I still do," I say truthfully. "I fell in love with her courage, her determination to fight even when things were bad. Her strength, her beauty, her attitude," I smile wryly. "Your sister was unique and wonderful. How could I not love her?" Alicia's face turns vulnerable and I can see tears in her eyes.

"It's not fair," she whispers. "It's not fair that you were the last person she was with. It should have been me" I can sense Hannah's own pain, her desperation to reach out for her sister and hold her close.

"You were the person she loved the most," I say truthfully. "Hannah adored you. She would have done anything for you," Alicia's lips tremble and I can see the effort it takes to control herself.

"Did she…did she like you?" She whispers. I frown, not sure. Does Hannah like me? Or am I just a useful tool to keep her alive?

_Don't be silly, mog boy, _Hannah says softly. She almost looks emotional. _Of course I like you. You're the best friend I've ever had._ She swallows, her eyes filled with tears. _You're the only person I can rely on._

"She…she didn't at first," I reply. "But then after she changed me…after everything that happened, I think she came to like me. I think she came to forgive me," Alicia nods, wiping away a tear from her cheek. I can tell she's angry at having shown me this side to her and I know that she'll soon be back to her angry, detached self.

"It still doesn't change anything though," Alicia whispers, drawing her knees up to her chin. "She's still dead," she snaps, trembling. Hannah wants to go over to her, to hug her, to comfort her, but I remind her that it would be weird if I did that. Instead I nod, wishing that I could change the past or swap places with Hannah. If anyone deserves to be here, it's her.

"I know," I whisper. "I miss her every day. And I know you may not believe me, but I'll make Ivan pay for her death"

"Even if he's your brother?" Alicia frowns, her eyes still wet with tears. She looks so young, so vulnerable and I don't know whether it's me or Hannah who feels more protective of her in this moment. And I think of Ivan, my brother who knew how I felt for Hannah, who knew that I loved her. And he still killed her.

"Especially because he's my brother"

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**Hope you all enjoyed! So, something bad/good is going to happen in the next chapter, depending on who you ship! **

**Please review!**


	32. Chapter 31 - Rest in Peace

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love them all and the support I get is so amazing! A huge thank you!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Sophia didn't react so much because she knows people will be watching, but that doesn't mean she's not unhappy. She's just keeping it hidden.**

\- **Adam is a Gamemaker, but there are different types. The ones in charge who make the decisions and the ones who are in the control room, doing the jobs for the ones in charge.**

\- **Adam met Henri a few chapters back when Henri wanted to talk to Adam about the resistance. It was in Chapter 23 – Final Secret Revealed.**

**Love some of the ideas that you guys have thought up and your thoughts for the next few chapters! I can't tell you which ones are right but I can say that some definitely are!**

**Read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 31 – Rest in Peace

**Marina – Day 1 (11 PM)**

The monkeys swarm for us at once, their angry screams filling the night air. Adrenalin races through me at once as they throw themselves at us, their claws outstretched to rip out our throats. I throw my hands up at once to protect myself with telekinesis, forgetting that the fog took our legacies away and I can't use them. Fortunately, we have other ways of protecting ourselves for now.

Stanley swings his axe around in a wide arc, the sharp blade slicing the monkeys and the force behind the swing throwing the mutts back against the trees for a moment. Sophia has her knives in her hands at once, she always had them on her belt, and she starts throwing them at the monkeys, keeping them back for now. Joseph lunges for my bow and arrow, tossing it to me. I grab them at once, nocking an arrow to the bow and loosing it towards the monkey that tries to kill him whilst he grabs his sword. Another monkey lunges out for him but he manages to sink the blade into it before it can kill him.

"Head for the beach!" Stanley yells again, swinging around and sinking his axe into another monkey's chest. I reach for another arrow, shooting it into the chest of a monkey that would have sunk its teeth into Joseph's neck, but it dies before it can do that. He shoots me a grim smile, his sword red with blood, as he turns and kills another mutt.

Since the fog took my legacies away for a while, I still can't see the mutts but I can hear their snarls too as they throw themselves at us. I can see their forms in the darkness, their red eyes gleaming with hatred. I lose myself in the killing and I know it's the same for the others. I watch as Sophia slices the air with her knives, each one finding a monkey. I watch, feeling sick as Stanley sinks his axe into the chest and throat of every monkey that comes his way, their lives ending quickly. Joseph is just as good, his sword slicing into their bodies and killing them instantly. I nock another arrow, sending it flying towards a monkey that would have killed Stanley and he shoots me a tired grin.

I'm exhausted and sweaty as I continue to fight off the monkeys, sometimes having to resort to kicking or punching to keep them away. I use a whole quiver full of arrows, and I only have one left. Unlike the axe or sword, I have a limited supply of hits and I want to savour my arrows for later on in the Games if I make it out tonight. One monkey lunges for me and I duck, my speed making me stumble. My hands sink into the soft mud of the pond bed and I feel the sharp jagged edge of a rock. I grab it, pleased to see that it's about the size of a loaf of bread. It's heavy but when the next mutt comes my way, I'm strong enough to lift it up and smack the monkey with it. To my delight, it works better than my bow and arrow in the close fight, and I sling them onto my back for later.

The mutts keep coming, their numbers endless. Every time we try to back away towards the beach, more come and block our way. We're surrounded on every side, no matter which way we turn. No matter how many we kill, more come. My rock weapon is just as effective as Stanley's axe and I notice that Sophia has gone for the same tactic as me, so as not to lose her knives too. I'm gasping for breath, sweat dripping down my face, and my hands are slippery on my rock. My arms ache from the effort of lifting the rock, but my need to survive keeps me going.

"The way is clear, go!" I hear someone scream. I turn and drop the rock, knowing that I can't run with the weight. I race for the beach, the water sloshing around my calves, my feet sinking into the mud. I can see the light of the moon on the sea, and I reach the edge of the pond, about to heave myself out when something lunges out for me. I grab another rock, this one much smaller, and smash the monkey with it. I push its body off, desperately reaching for my bow and arrow, when another monkey lunges for me.

I fall backwards into the water, as the heavy body of the monkey falls on me. I try to keep the monkey's sharp claws away from my throat and face, but my hands are left vulnerable as it slashes at me. Agony races through my hands and wrists as the monkey's talons sink into my flesh, the blood staining the water red. I scream, forgetting that I still can't breathe underwater and I start to choke as water floods into my lungs, the monkey still attacking me. I try to push it away, but it continues to scratch me and I can't see anything in the swirling water. My lungs are filled with water and I'm choking, drowning, unable to see anything.

The monkey suddenly goes still and then something grabs me, pulling me up. I gasp desperately for air, coughing up the water in my lungs. It's Stanley, his face covered with sweat and blood, as he slams his hand on my back to help me breathe. Blood streams from my wrists and the pain is so bad that there are tears in my eyes, but I can finally breathe at last. I check to make sure my bow and two quivers are still safe on my back, before Stanley shoves me away from the dead monkey and towards the beach. Joseph is behind us, sword in hand, fear etched on his face as he fights off the advancing army of monkeys. Sophia is ahead of us, clearing the way of vines and branches and killing off the odd monkey that decides to attack from the front.

"Go!" Stanley yells. I scramble out of the pond, my feet slipping slightly on the wet rocks. I haul myself out, trying to ignore the pain, and I run for the beach, my bloody hands grabbing and arming my bow. Stanley and Joseph are right behind me, when ten monkeys swarm down from the trees onto us from the side, as if they knew our plan.

It's mayhem, and I can barely see through the fur and teeth and talons. I use my bow to push the monkeys away from me, too close to them to shoot, and besides, I could hit Joseph or Stanley. I hear a cry of pain and then a knife slices through the air, killing the monkey that was clinging to Stanley. Joseph finishes the remaining few off as Stanley checks out the wound on his shoulder, before deeming it not so bad. Sophia stands nearby, dead monkeys lying at her feet. Her face is filled with urgency.

"Come on, there are more coming!" she screams, turning and heading for the beach. Joseph grabs my wrist, his own covered in my blood in seconds. He drags me towards the beach, his grip on my wrist punishingly tight. Part of me wonders if it's to stop the blood flowing freely from my wrist.

Stanley follows us, taking over the position of rear guard. He knocks down every monkey that tries to attack from behind, and those in front of us soon meet their deaths by Joseph's sword. We stagger towards the beach, Sophia in front of us, when a lone monkey jumps out from the side. We're unprepared and I can see the sharp talons heading straight for Joseph's chest, too fast for him to react. My lips are forming a scream when a shadow jumps out in front of Joseph, and then the monkey hits it.

I hear a horrible, heart-wrenching scream as the monkey's talons rip into the unprotected chest of the tribute who threw themselves in front of Joseph. Then my arrow hits the monkey and it falls to the ground, dead, but it's too late. The damage is done. The tribute falls to their knees and I can see now that it's a woman, her hands and chest covered in blood which pumps out of the wound. I feel sick, but I know that we can't stop now, not even with her injured seriously. The mutts are still coming.

"Marina, help me," Joseph says, grabbing one of her arms. I nod, grabbing the other, and we half-drag, half-carry the woman to the beach, Stanley still behind us. I can hear the screams of the monkeys as they catch up to us, some of them killed by Stanley, others racing round to the front where Joseph manages to kill them with desperate swipes from his staff. I know that we need to get to the beach as soon as possible because we're almost spent. We just better hope that the monkeys can't swim.

"Nearly there!" Sophia is ahead of us on the beach, waving her arms in the air. I hear a snarling noise behind me, and then Sophia's knife races through the air and kills the monkey that would have hit us. Stanley is just behind us, the monkeys a few paces further away, and then we crash out through the trees and onto the beach. We race for the water, wading in to our knees before turning to see if they've followed us. The monkeys come to a halt, pacing in the trees, as if waiting for us to renter the forest.

I fall to my knees, blood streaming into the water freely, my breaths coming out in gasps. My wrist throbs with pain and I feel light headed from all the blood I've lost. Joseph falls beside me, the tribute lying on the sand next to him, the waves lapping over her and washing the blood away. Sophia is by my side at once, ripping the sleeves of her jumpsuit to create makeshift bandages for my wrists, but I'm barely aware of it. I look over at the tribute who's dying because she sacrificed herself for Joseph, wondering why she did it. She doesn't look in any particular bad state, apart from the huge wound in her chest; her death doesn't make any sense.

"Hey, hey, it's ok, it's ok" Joseph pulls into his arms, the woman's body lightly bobbing in the water. He tries to calm the woman's desperate breaths, his own face filled with panic. She's wheezing, her hands fluttering over her chest, and there are tear streaks down her face. I can only imagine the pain she's in.

Stanley is guarding the edge of the forest, his pipe staff out in front of him, the axe near his feet. He watches the monkeys that are snarling with anger, as if desperate to attack us. But it's like something is stopping them from leaving the forest and they can only watch us from the trees. I crawl over, the water lapping around my knees, ignoring Sophia's protests as she tries to wrap my wrists up. I reach out, linking my hands with the woman's, as she stares up at the sky, wheezing for breath.

"It's ok," Joseph says softly, brushing her cheek. He has tears in his eyes and his hand trembles, as he takes her other hand. "Look at the sky. Look how pretty it is" he whispers. The woman's eyes flicker up and I spare a glance, my breath catching at the sight. The night sky is filled with stars and the moon shines down on the water. The waves crash gently onto the beach and the trees sway in the wind; it's beautiful.

The woman's breathing calms slightly, the wheeze getting stronger. I can tell she's near the end, but there's a more peaceful look in her eyes as Joseph continues to stroke her hair, pointing out the beauty of the night. The woman smiles, the faintest smile on her lips, and then her chest stops rising and falling. A cannon booms in the distance.

"She's gone," Sophia says softly, moving out of the water and dropping her knives on the ground. Joseph reaches out, gently closing the woman's eyelids. It's almost like she's sleeping. I notice out of the corner of my eye the monkey's retreating and Stanley drops his weapon in relief, his shoulders heaving with exertion.

"We should move away from the body…so they can collect her," I say softly. Joseph nods, gently letting go of the woman. We wade a few paces away and onto the beach, the whirr of the helicopter coming soon after. I'm buffeted slightly by the wind as the helicopter appears, the mechanical claw lowering down to collect the woman. I swallow the lump in my throat as her body is taken away. I brush a tear away from my face, wincing as a flash of pain races up my arm.

"Marina, your wrists," Joseph notices the gashes and heavy bleeding, his face filled with concern. I shrug, although I'm starting to feel very light-headed. Sophia comes over, the makeshift bandages in her hands, and this time I don't stop her from helping me. She ties them tightly around my wrists, almost cutting off the circulation but I know until I can heal myself, this is the only thing that will help.

"I didn't even know her name" Joseph whispers, watching as Sophia ties the bandages on. "She saved my life and I didn't even know her name" he says, guilt on his face. I smile softly at him, wishing I could comfort him, but I know Sophia won't let me move.

"But you were there with her at the end," I reassure him. "That's what counts," He nods, his jaw working, as he looks away. Sophia finishes tying up the bandages and gets up, going to help Stanley. I think he's trying to find us a water source now and I can hear the thud of the axe in the tree. I hear them talking but it's not my place to listen in.

"Don't feel guilty," I whisper, reaching out for Joseph. My wrists still ache and I feel tired and sore. It's been a long night with two deaths: Marcus' and that woman's. I just want to sleep, to forget everything. "There was nothing we could have done" Joseph nods, about to say something, when Stanley comes running over with a whoop.

"We got a gift! The sponsors sent us something!" he laughs. I stand up at once, grinning when I see the silver parachute on the sand. How did I not hear that? Sophia rips it open, grinning when she reveals the two-litre water bottle inside, filled with fresh water.

"Just what we need," Stanley echoes my thoughts, chucking me the bottle first. Maybe he feels sorry for me because of my wrists but I don't question his judgement. I take a long drink, passing it onto Joseph afterwards. We all pass it around, finishing it off quickly, but I know that we can refill it quickly.

"It's been a long night," Sophia points out. "We should get some sleep. We might have a break for a bit but we won't be left alone for long" she adds. "After all, the Games have only just begun,"

Xxx

**Maren – Day 2 (6 AM)**

The heat is wearing me down, the constant humidity draining my energy. The sun doesn't reach the forest floor because of the foliage in its way, but it's still so hot that it feels like the sun is just above us. I can't believe it's just early morning; the heat of the day will be unbearable. I wipe the sweat away from my forehead, my breathing faster than normal. The constant moving around and heat is tiring me out more than I thought it would, although the lack of water isn't helping either. I could do with a good drink of water and something to eat.

I swipe my sword in front of me in annoyance, slicing the thick vines that obscure the path. This part of the jungle is hard; there are vines and branches and roots ready to trip you up everywhere. Enemies could be hidden in the branches or behind the thick tree trunks and we would never know. The thought terrifies me although I try not to let it show.

Sarah giggles behind me, her laugh louder than necessary in this dangerous environment. I shoot a look behind me, wishing that she could be quiet, but she's not focused on me. Her eyes are fixed on John, with her hand locked in his, and they look as happy as can be. If I didn't know better, you'd think we were on holiday, trekking through the jungle for fun, not in search of food or a steady supply of water.

"Cut it out," I hiss at them both. "I get that you're happy and in love, but there could be careers on our trail and your laughter just makes it worse," Sarah pales a little but John just shoots me a grin. He looks happier than I can remember him being and I know it's down to Sarah. They've been in good mood ever since I woke up from my nap, which makes me wonder what exactly they were doing.

"I'm sure we're absolutely safe when you're in this mood," John jokes. I glare at him and I can see Sarah try to hide her grin, but it's obvious. I turn away from them, heading uphill and further away from the beach. I want to stay by the edge of the jungle by the sea, but I don't know whether the careers are near the water too. I wouldn't be surprised; they'll want to stay as close to the cornucopia as possible, with all of its bounty and weapons.

I hear another laugh behind me, and I clench my teeth, trying not to get agitated. I should let them have their fun, after all we are in the Games and I know that we won't have long left together. If they want to finally embrace their feelings for one another and let that endanger their lives, then I should be glad. Just two people that I don't have to worry about. But at the same time, I'm worried that their feelings will endanger me, and I admit, I don't like the thought of either of them being killed, even if it's necessary for my survival.

I break through a patch of trees, grinning when I see a small pond in front of me. I gesture to the other two who soon catch up, grins on their faces when they see the water in front of them. I drop my sword onto the ground, kneeling down and taking a long drink of water in delight, water spilling down my chin in my haste. The water is cold and fresh and it's like liquid energy being injected into my veins immediately. I slip into the water and submerge myself completely in the pond, the water cooling me down after what feels like days of being hot. I hear a splash as Sarah and John join me, both chattering excitedly in the pond.

"Shh," I say again, but it's half-hearted. I swirl my hands around in the cool water, a huge smile on my face. I take another long drink, and it's like there was a pain in my head that has vanished. I feel energized for the first time in a while and I wish I had a water bottle to keep some of this water.

"So there _are_ sources of water in the jungle," Sarah grins, splashing water up onto her face. John laughs, looking like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. It seems like I'm not the only one who's been suffering from the lack of water and heat.

"Can we stay here forever?" John grins, floating in the water. I snort, splashing him lightly, but dodge out of the way before he can do the same. Not that it matters. Sarah swims close to him and it's like nothing else matters to him. I roll my eyes, pulling myself out of the water.

I ring the water out of my hair, listening to the two of them splashing behind me. I'm smiling as I re-tie my hair into a ponytail, looking around in case there is any obvious prey. I'm so hungry that I could eat a whole pig if one came along. I hear a rustling in the trees and I turn to the side, wondering if there's a rabbit or wild turkey. The rustling stops and I sigh, turning back to the pond; it's just the wind. Sarah and John are still having fun, grins on their faces. Their mood is contagious and the cold water has cheered me up, so much so that I don't even feel too concerned about watching the surrounding area. I hear another rustling and I peer around, trying to see through the thick leaves and vines. My stomach tightens a little in fear but I try to ignore it. After all, we're far from the beach and I would have heard a pack of tributes coming.

"Come on, let's go," I say, standing up. "We've made too much noise and-"

Birds fly up from the trees with a shriek, and instinct makes me duck at once. The axe thuds into the tree behind me. I look up, fear and adrenalin kicking in when I see the huge career tribute race for me, another axe in her hand. I leap to my feet, searching desperately for my sword, but I can't seem to find it. Where did I put it?

"Maren!" I hear John cry but then the girl is onto me. Her second axe swings for my head but I duck, driving my fist into her stomach. She bends over, winded, and I kick the handle of her axe, the force behind my blow breaking the wood. The axe head falls to the ground with a thud, the girl left with a piece of broken wood in her hands.

"Look out for the rest!" I yell a warning to Sarah and John. I hear them splashing and shouting to one another as they try to get out of the pond, but I can't focus on them. The girl straightens up and scowling in annoyance at her broken weapon, she throws the piece of wood at me with a scream of anger. It's solid, thick wood and I duck again, giving her enough time to wrench her second axe out of the tree.

I move out of the way as she swings it for me, the blade slicing through the air with a whistle. My heart stops as the axe comes towards me again and I jump back, searching desperately for my sword. There! I reach out with telekinesis, and it comes flying towards my hands, just as the axe comes for me again. I raise my sword to defend myself and there's a large clang of metal hitting metal as our weapons meet. Shock from the blow races through my arm and I stagger back, surprised at the girl's strength.

"Maren, duck!" I do as John says and then there's a shooting noise as Sarah fires her crossbow at the tribute. It hits the girl's arm, who shrieks with pain and anger. She rips the arrow out of her arm in anger, and if looks could kill, I'd be dead. She tosses her weapon to the side, kicking the blade out of my arm like I did to hers, and then tackles me.

We roll down a small hill, rocks bashing us, and roots scratching our skin. I try to protect my head from whacking on rocks or tree roots until we reach the bottom of the hill, where I try to push her off me. She's heavy and strong, and I resort to scratching her face in desperation. She rears back with a scream and I kick her stomach with my feet, pushing her off me and jumping up. She lunges for my ankle, pulling me down again and then she uses momentum to pin me onto the ground. Her hands lock around my neck but I manage to shoot my elbow up and nail her in the eye. She yells but keeps her position on top to keep her advantage.

I can hear John and Sarah running down the hill to help me, but I know they'll be too late. The girl starts to punch me, one hand pinning my hands down whilst the other strikes my face. I manage to block the punches with my arm, but it's not easy. If only I were heavier, I could pin her. I reach out with telekinesis, feeling desperately for a rock around me, needing a weapon. There! I grab it with telekinesis and then bring it through the air until it hits the girl's side with a loud crunching noise. She screams and rolls away, when I sock her in the face.

She falls back, her face bloody and I grab the rock from the ground. It's thick and heavy and a perfect weapon. John and Sarah are still coming but they're slow, much slower than I am. The girl lunges for me again and then I steel myself, swinging the rock around in an arc. It hits her temple with a loud thud and she crumples to the ground, her head caved in. I watch in horror as blood pumps from the wound, the air filled with smell of blood and death. Then there's the sound of a cannon in the distance.

Realization about what I've done hits me and I scramble away from her dead body, shudders wracking my body. I killed someone from my own race; I killed a Loric. Killing mogs is no big deal, but someone of your own race? I throw up weakly on the ground and then John and Sarah are finally there, weapons in hands. I throw up the little water left in my stomach, feeling sick as I stare at the girl's blood on my hands. I did this. I killed her. I took someone's life and it was so easy.

"It's ok, it's ok," Sarah bends down, wrapping her arms around me. If I weren't so sick, I'd be surprised that it's her being there for me. "You had to do it, you had no other choice," I sob, pressing my bloody hands to my face. I'm shaking all over, feeling sick. Sarah strokes my hair, saying something distantly to John.

"Are there others?" I barely manage to whisper. Sarah shakes her head softly as John bends down, dragging the dead Loric's body away. I take in her crumpled skull, her dead eyes staring at the sky, and another shudder races through me. I shut my eyes to block it out and I hear a rustling nearby, presumably John hiding the body from me.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I whisper, shivering despite the heat. "Oh no, what have I done?" I sob, my voice sounding hysterical. I know that I need to pull myself together but it's like I'm in shock. Sarah shakes her head and then there's another rustling sound, louder and closer. I look up, just as the second tribute lunges from the bushes.

The boy hurls his spear towards us at once, his face twisted up in a snarl. I feel numb, as if I'm watching this from a distance and I can't move. I hear John scream something as the weapon flies towards us and then Sarah shoves me away from her towards the forest floor. Adrenalin finally kicks in, replacing my shock and my body comes to life. I scramble away, lunging for a weapon to kill the boy, despite my earlier self-loathing when an arrow whistles through the air and pierces his neck. I turn to see John with his crossbow, looking as sick as I felt, when I hear a cannon boom. I expect the boy to fall dead to the ground but he's choking on his own blood, still dying. I look around in confusion and then notice John's face drain of colour, his eyes widen in horror.

"No, no, no" John runs over and then he's leaning over Sarah, who's lying on the floor, her eyes staring at the sky. I crawl over, as horror begins to dawn over me. The spear was coming for me. She pushed me away. She took the spear.

"No, no, no. You can't be dead, you can't be," John begins to sob as he pulls her lifeless body into his arms, her eyes staring at the sky. But I know it's too late. She must have died almost instantly once the spear hit her. I hear another cannon boom and I watch as the boy falls to the ground dead, his blood seeping into the forest floor.

John yells, a horrible heartbroken sound. It sends chills down my spine and tears start to fill my eyes as he sobs desperately, his head buried in Sarah's hair. He's shaking her, as if to wake her up but I know nothing will help her now. She's far away from here, somewhere safer. John refuses to accept that though and I hear him calling her name, pain and grief in his voice. I expect to feel the same grief, the same pain but my hunting nature kicks in and I begin to take in the sound of shouting, of running. More careers are coming, I'm sure of it. The two we killed were scouts, sent ahead to scope out the area.

"John, we need to go," I whisper softly, not wanting to leave Sarah behind. She looks so helpless, so young, with the spear lodged in her chest. It's instinctual to protect her when she looks like this and I can only imagine the feeling for John. He shakes his head, his arms tightening around her, as if to protect her, but the time for protection is long gone. I reach out, gently closing her eyes so it would almost be like she were sleeping.

"We have to go," I say again, grief in my voice. Grief for the girl who saved me, who gave her life for mine. "Or her sacrifice will have meant nothing," John stares at me blearily, as the shouting gets louder. Tears still fall from his eyes and I watch his shoulders shake with suppressed sobs. Panic begins to race through me again and I grab the sword that Sarah brought me.

"John, we need to run!" I say, urgency in my voice. "We have to leave her…it's what she'd want," I stand up, preparing to fight, but I can't tear my eyes away from John. I watch as he places a tender kiss against Sarah's lips, whispering something in her ear. He gently brushes her hair away from her face, memorizing in her features for the last time. I blink back tears, swallowing around the lump in my throat.

"We need to go," I repeat one last time. John nods, gently placing her body back down on the leaves, her arms across her chest. She lies there, almost like she's asleep and I see something break in John. Something changes in him, something that will never be healed.

"She's safe now," I whisper to him. John nods, tears streaming down his face, his eyes broken. "She's gone to a better place," I add. John doesn't even seem to hear me; he can't stop looking at her.

I hear the shouting of the careers and then I grab his hand, summoning my invisibility legacy. If only I'd remembered that earlier, things might have been so different. John and I turn invisible and then I drag him away from the clearing. I drag him away from the tributes we killed and the dead girl that he loved.

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**So, hope you all enjoyed! I think most of you will be delighted with Sarah's death.**

**Please review!**


	33. Chapter 32 - Allying Up

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I loved reading them all and really appreciate all the support you guys give me! Thank you all so much!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Sam will be appearing soon, don't worry! I haven't forgotten about Sam!**

\- **Yeah, the timing of Sarah's death wasn't great haha. But it wasn't planned like that at all.**

\- **Don't worry about Joseph! I love him and Marina far too much to let anything ever happen to him! Besides, as a character, he has so much potential, especially with John and Stanley/Nine for the best Brotp!**

\- **I think maybe Sophia is the most similar to Johanna Mason but there are of course differences. As for a sequel for fate of ten, I don't know if I would do that. There are a lot of things that I can't work with, unlike after Rise of Nine when there were so many possibilities.**

**Please read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 32 – Allying Up

**Maren – Day 2 (10 AM)**

"John, you need to eat,"

John stares straight ahead, his face devoid of all emotion. He sits on a rock by the pond, his legs in the water, but it's like he doesn't notice the cold. He doesn't seem to care about the mosquitos buzzing around his head or the sweat dripping down his face. I sit hopelessly next to him, the rest of the squirrel I shot earlier in my hands. I've already eaten my share but John just stares ahead, as if he's gone mad.

"John, please," I beg, my voice breaking slightly. He continues to stare ahead, his eyes blank. I sigh, putting the food into his hands, but he doesn't close his hands onto the meat, he just sits there. I wonder if he's somewhere else completely, maybe seeing Sarah's death again.

I stand up, filled with fear. It's not the careers I'm scared of; they could never find us once I'd hidden us in a tree with invisibility. I'd heard them trampling around for ages, trying to find our tracks, but we were right in front of their noses without them even realising it. I'd heard the noises of the helicopter as they'd taken the dead bodies away, and I'd seen Sarah's body being transported away to the Capital. I had covered John's eyes, refusing to let him see that. I was too scared it would break him and he'd go mad. But John had stayed still, so still that I was almost worried he'd frozen in shock. When I was sure the careers had gone, I'd headed in the opposite direction entirely, taking all of my effort to drag John with me.

It hadn't taken me long to find another pond, but I'd kept going, not wanting to be anywhere close to the killing spot. I had eventually found this second one after another few hours trek, much to my relief. John hadn't said a word at all during the entire journey, as if he's stuck in time. It hadn't been hard forcing him to drink but eating is another matter. He just refuses to say or do anything.

"John, please, you have to eat. You can't give up now," I plead, my voice thick with tears. He turns his head, almost looking at me blindly. I want him to break into tears, to sob, to scream but he just watches me for a long moment before finally speaking.

"I'm not hungry," he says, his voice raw. I shake my head, kneeling in front of him.

"You _have_ to eat. You haven't eaten in ages," I plead with him. He sighs and stares away from me again, his eyes landing on the sun. Can it only be day 2 already? And only the morning still? So much has happened in the night and early morning; the blood rain, Sarah's death…I look around as if for inspiration to persuade John, trying to hide my fear from John and the audience. I don't want them to see me weak or scared.

"John, Sarah wouldn't want you to do nothing! She'd want you to fight!" I snap at him, grabbing his arms but he just pulls them away, a spark of anger on his face.

"You don't know anything about her!" he yells back, his voice choked. "You hated her!" He shoves me away from him and I roll back. I would be scared if not for the relief at him finally doing something. He begins to sob, his emotions finally breaking free. He puts his head in his hands, his shoulders wracked with sobs. I don't know what's worse, the crying or the silence.

"I knew that she loved you more than she loved anything else in the world," I say softly. "I know that she wanted you to live and win these Games. I knew that she was strong and brave, braver than me in the end" I stand up, noticing that John has fallen silent, listening to every word I'm saying. "I knew that she was a far better person that I could ever be," John says nothing but I hear him start to sob again. I want to comfort him, to hug him, but I know it's not my hugs he wants. He wants the hugs of a dead girl who's lying in a cold morgue hundreds of miles away.

I turn away, swallowing the lump in my throat. I think of Sarah, who took the spear instead of letting me die. She'd pushed me away to save me. I'd always doubted her, always criticised her, but in the end it was Sarah who was stronger and braver. She gave her life to save me and I don't even know why. John, I'd understand, but not me. Why _me_? I take a deep shuddering breath, trying to suppress the guilt. She's dead because of me, I know that, and the guilt is starting to really hit me now. How can I look John in the face when I know that Sarah died for me?

I think of the tribute that I had killed myself, the girl whose head I'd crushed with a rock. I feel sick as I think of her dead body, the blood on the leaves and rocks. I shudder, pressing my hands to my face, my guilt overwhelming me. I take a deep breath; I can't break now, not when John is so close to the edge. I have to be strong for both of us now, no matter how impossible that seems.

There's a light jingling noise and I grab my sword at once, looking around for danger. I can't see any careers but that doesn't mean they're not here; they could be hiding like they were earlier. I approach John, preparing to protect him, when I hear a light thud and I spin on my heels, expecting a huge tribute to charge me. Instead, a silver parachute lands nearby.

"A gift from a sponsor!" I say to John in relief, running over to see what it could be. Relief fills me and for the first time since I've been in this arena, I don't feel hopeless. I can see that it's a basket and there's food for the both of us: bread, goat's cheese, lamb stew with rice and apples. But best of all, there's a large plastic bottle, filled with fresh water.

"John, look!" I show him the basket and he wipes away his tears to take it in. A small smile appears on his face for a moment and then it vanishes, as though he won't allow himself to be happy. As though he remembered Sarah and her death.

"Please, at least have some stew," I beg him, discovering two spoons at the bottom of the basket. I hand John one, expecting him to chuck it away, but he takes it to my surprise. He looks more determined, a light back in his dull eyes. Maybe his need for food is winning over his grief for now.

"What's in it?" he whispers. I'm so thrilled that he's talking that I smile eagerly at him, handing him the stew.

"Lamb. It's from the Capital, it's great," I say. "Here, eat it, you need it more than me," John dips his spoon in, taking a taste. His eyes widen and then he starts to scoop the food in quickly, as if he can't get enough. I want some stew too but I'm not going to stop him eating. I don't know if he's going to go back to the silent state and I want him to at least have food in him if he does revert back to that.

"Don't you want any?" John suddenly pauses, as if the thought has only hit him. I shake my head, spreading some cheese on a bread roll and taking a bite. Flavour bursts across my mouth and my stomach growls with hungry; after years in the Capital, my stomach has gotten used to being full.

"You have it, you need it more," I say. "I can catch food whenever I need it," John frowns, passing me some of the stew. He still looks shattered, still broken, but I'm starting to see some light returning to his eyes. It's a start.

"Have some too," he says. "I really don't mind, Maren. You need food too," I pause and then nod, taking a bite. It's so good that my mouth waters at once and then I shovel the food down as well, both of us fighting for the rest of the stew. We're both silent for a long few moments as we eat the food and then I push the basket away, my stomach bursting.

"We need to save some," I say regretfully. John nods, looking down at the empty stew bowl. I decide to keep it in case it could be handy, but I don't want the basket. I knot the parachute together to make a kind of makeshift bag to put the rest of the food and water in. It's nowhere near as good as a real bag but it'll do.

"We can camp here if you want, but I'd prefer to be up a tree," My stomach might be used to lots of food but my body still remembers how to hunt, how to hide. "Do you think you can manage that?" John shoots me an exasperated look and it's almost like he's back to how he used to be.

"I can still climb, Maren," he says in exasperation. I shrug helplessly and look around for a suitable tree; preferably one close to another one so that if we're cornered we can jump over to the next one. I want one with thick branches and lots of leaves to hide us from those who could be hunting for us. It doesn't take me long to find the perfect tree; most of them in here have the characteristics that I want.

"This one," I gesture to one nearby and John walks over, his face controlled. It seems that for the moment he's reverted back to Games mode but I have a feeling that it's all a façade. That he's barely clinging onto his control and could crack any moment.

John climbs and I soon follow, although it's slow progress. John is strong but he's not used to climbing trees and he finds it hard to instinctively know where to put his hands and feet. He's also heavier than me so we can't go as high as I'd like to, but I know I can't say anything. He's in shock and grieving for Sarah. I should be amazed that he's even functioning.

"This will do," I say gently and John settles down, leaning against the tree trunk. I should go on the branch next to him, and take first watch, but instead I climb onto the same branch as him, sitting opposite him. I don't need a trunk to lean against; this is second nature to me but I can tell John feels unsafe up here. I pause; hanging the food parachute from the branch above us and securing it so it won't fall.

"Do you want to talk?" I ask hesitantly. John snorts in annoyance, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.

"I knew this was coming," he sighs "Just leave me alone Maren, I'm not in the mood,"

"Well I'm not in the mood to carry a shocked boy around with me again!" I snap. "It was like you were in a coma John! I don't blame you, not at all, but I can't let that happen again!" my voice breaks and I look away, angry with myself. I'm supposed to be helping him, not shouting at him. To my surprise, I hear a shifting noise and then John's hand rests on mine. I look up to see him precariously perched on the branch, his hand clutching the tree trunk behind him.

"It won't happen again," he promises me softly. I see his jaw clenched with the effort of controlling himself. "I won't let it," His eyes are filled with tears and I know of course that he can't promise me anything. And how can he? He's just lost Sarah, the love of his life. How can anyone get over that?

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm so sorry that she died," I squeeze his hand, and that's when he begins to cry. It's like he can't hold it in anymore, like the emotion has finally broken free, because huge heaving sobs rip out of him. I have to catch him to stop him from falling off the tree and then he's in my arms, clutching me to him. His head is buried in my hair and he clings to me tightly. I wonder if he's pretending that I'm someone else, another girl with different coloured hair and different personality.

"It's ok, it's ok," I whisper, stroking his hair. He doesn't reply, he just clings to me, and the morning air is filled with the sobs of a grieving boy.

Xxx

**Adam**

_Hannah? Come back…please. _Hannah has disappeared again and I'm terrified. I can't help but think of Ben's warning that one day she won't come back and the thought of this being the time terrifies me. She can't leave me now, not when things are hanging in the balance. Not when I need her more than ever. My hands shake and I take a deep breath, trying to control myself. It'll be ok…it'll be fine. I'm just overreacting as usual.

"How are the Games going?" I look up with a jump to see Ivan standing in the doorway to my bedroom, acting like an awkward teenager. He doesn't look like one though. Wearing his Scouts uniform that stretches too tightly over his broad shoulders, he looks threatening and dangerous. But I can tell by his tone of voice that he's not here to threaten or mock me; he's here to genuinely talk.

"Decently," I shrug. "Things have to be different this year, we have to end it as soon as possible…but you know why of course," I turn back to the papers on my desk, wishing that my migraine would disappear and I could actually do some work. Hannah still hasn't returned, making me feel even worse, but I can't show my fear in front of my brother.

"Because of the uprisings. Because of the rebels," Ivan states the obvious, clearly not getting the memo that I want him to leave. I shrug again, turning back to face him. I expect him to be angry at my attitude towards him, but he just looks tired, worn down.

"Yes," I nod. "They want us to kill the tributes from last year because they're too dangerous to be left alive," I tell him. He might as well know if he doesn't already. He's a high-ranking Scout official; he'll know all about the uprisings in Lorien and the trouble brewing.

"Good, they deserve to die," Ivan says roughly. "They're ruining everything for us. So many Scouts have died because of them," He scowls and I can see his mean, sadistic streak once more, ready to take his revenge on the Loric. It's always there; he just hides it sometimes. "I swear, those Loric will get what's coming to them"

"Will they though?" I can't help but ask. I know the inside plans of the Resistance; Ivan and the mogs don't even know there is a proper organization! "The Loric are doing a lot of damage and their leaders aren't even dead yet," Ivan focuses on me, his eyes narrowed.

"Leaders?" he says sharply. I smile calmly, but inside my heart is beating fast. Ivan is cleverer than I think and he can_ never_ know what I know. That'll end everything.

"You know, the tributes on TV. Last year's winners. The Loric see them as their leaders…or I assumed so anyway," I shrug non-committedly and Ivan relaxes, nodding in annoyance.

"Yes, well, you don't need leaders to win a war. You need armies and guns," he snaps. I want to disagree entirely. The Loric would never fight back if they didn't have last year's Victors. They would never even think about rebelling if they weren't encouraged. I rub my temples wearily; the thought of resistance and rebelling makes my headache worse.

"What do you want Ivan?" I sigh. Our relationship used to be so strong but now…now it's nonexistent. How can I forgive him for killing Hannah? And I know that he hasn't forgiven me for falling in love with her and for humiliating him in the greatest way by letting Loric win our Games. I know that for him, that was the worst moment of his life.

"I wanted to talk to you before I go," he says softly. I frown in confusion, gesturing for him to enter my room. He settles on my bed, looking around awkwardly.

"Where are you going?" I ask. I'm automatically worried about his safety, even though his death would be a good thing for the Resistance. Yet…he's my brother and I still care. I may never _not_ care. If it were possible to convert him to be like me, then I would, but I know it's hopeless. It's just a dream.

"To Baladh," Ivan frowns. "One of the tributes was from there and her brother was part of this Loric Council. He's been influencing the city and encouraging them to rebel. This is the first of the Southern Cities to fight and we know that if we don't stop Baladh, the others will follow soon. We're going to put an end to that," I take in his set jaw and the flash of cruelty in his eyes and I know exactly how he plans on ending that.

"Well, stay safe," I say softly. There's nothing else I can say to him that would sound genuine. Ivan stands up and heads to the door, his shoulders stiff. He pauses by the door and then turns to face me, a weird look on his face.

"You know, Adam, you used to be so different. What's happened to you?" he asks in confusion. I shrug, a flash of panic racing through me. If he can spot a difference, then surely my father must have. Or maybe he just doesn't care anymore.

"Well, things happened that changed me," I say, my tone sharp. Ivan blanches and I know he realizes that I'm talking about Hannah and her death. He looks away, his jaw working as he tries to figure out what to say.

"I knew it was about her. It was always about her," Ivan shakes his head, anger in his face. "I can't believe you Adam, falling for one of them. What were you thinking? You've ruined everything! We used to be so close but now…now you can't even look at me without hating me because I killed her," he looks at me in anger and it's like I can't be bothered to lie anymore. Just then, I feel a static noise in my mind and then Hannah suddenly returns, shaking and gasping. She's flickering and her form is even ghostlier than I remember it being. I feel sick and try not to let it show on my face.

_Welcome back,_ I say sadly. Hannah continues to shake, tears rolling down her cheeks. I know she's scared of the end, so scared because she knows it's coming and there's noting she can do so stop it. There's nothing I can say that makes her feel better.

"You're still in love with her? That's what's caused all the problems, all your changes. It's still about Hannah. You still love her? After all this time?" Ivan pulls me back to the conversation. I stare at him for a long time and then the girl in the corner of the room, watching me earnestly as she recovers from her disappearance. I take in her beautiful face, her determination to fight and above all her goodness. I turn back to Ivan, tears in my eyes.

"Always"

Xxx

**Stanley – Day 2 (Midday)**

The air is filled with the sounds of crickets and it's definitely another hot day. Already I'm sweating from the humidity and I take a long drink from our new water bottle, courtesy of our sponsors. I wonder if it's because we've had such a hectic night: fog, Marcus' death, monkey mutts and then the tribute that died. It must be a reward for providing such a good show and it's only day 2.

Nearby Joseph and Marina are asleep, curled around each other protectively. Both have proven themselves to be valuable allies in here; even if it makes it harder in the long run, I'm glad to have been allied up with them for now. It makes the burden of hunting and sleeping easier, makes it easier to face the challenges the Gamemakers send us. I would have died if not for them and I know that they would be dead or dying if not for me.

"Here," Sophia dumps a sword and a new axe on the ground nearby, her face set in a scowl. "I went over the cornucopia a good three times at least. There are only weapons," she sighs, running her hand through her hair. "Which is both good and bad I guess," She settles down nearby, her eyes landing on Joseph and Marina. I can see her face is lined with weariness and I know it's been a hard night for her. Losing her fellow survivor from her Games must be hard, even if she knew it was bound to happen.

"How are you coping?" I ask. "With Marcus' death…" Sophia scowls, looking down at her knives at her belt, restocked thanks to her trip to the cornucopia.

"It was necessary," she finally answers. "Even if I didn't like it," I want to reach out and take her hand, but she seems so distant and not like my friend. Maybe because we're in the Games now and her survival instinct has kicked in. Maybe because she's trying to protect herself from hurting if someone else dies.

"He did it for you…before he died, he asked us to take care of you," I tell her softly. I expect her to start crying, to break down, but she just shrugs. I know she was close to him and felt protective over him so this must be a show. It _must_ be.

"How touching," she snorts. "Maybe you should make sure you're all right. You seem more hurt than me," she stands up, reaching for our nearly empty water bottle and the axe. "I'm getting some water. Try not to cry too much," she snaps, heading for the trees.

I watch her go, not hurt or insulted. It's her way of coping, it's clear for me to see. She's hurting, _badly_, over his death and I know that she wants privacy so she can mourn privately on her own terms. But with a camera in every inch of this arena, there's no such thing as secrecy in here. She doesn't want to be weak, a feeble tribute doesn't get sponsors, so she's hiding it from them and by default, me. I don't blame her; I was the same after my initial shock of Maddy's death in Round 1. She and I are the same in that respect.

I rest my head in my hands, exhausted. Weariness is starting to slowly drag me down, but more pressing is my hunger. I need to get us something to eat soon but it's so nice to sit by the waves and have them cool me down. The moment I step into the jungle, the humidity will press on me. Besides, there are so many bad memories associated with that jungle. The fog, the searing pain and boils whenever it touched you. I wince, looking down at my scar-free hands. I've felt a lot of pain but nothing in my life had been as bad as that agony. What had been just as bad had been the lack of legacies and the way our energy was just sapped from us. And then, just as we were recovering from that, the monkeys had attacked us. I shudder as I think of their screams as we'd sliced into them; it had been necessary but very unpleasant.

I hear a sigh nearby and watch as Joseph sits up, shaking the sand from his hair. He looks as weary as I feel and I know that the arena is wearing him down as much as it is for the rest of us. He doesn't seem to see me watching and I watch as he tenderly brushes a strand of hair away from Marina's face, a sad look on his face. I look away, feeling like I'm interrupting something, and pity churning in my stomach. Had I looked at Maddy that way? Had I subconsciously brushed her hair back like that like it's instinct? No, I don't think I had been in as deep as Joseph is. I don't think Maddy had looked at me in the same way that Marina looks at Joseph. I turn back to see Sophia arrive with the freshly-filled water bottle.

"How many are dead now then?" I ask, standing up and stretching my arms in front of me, deciding to get down to business. Joseph sits nearby, still looking dazed from lack of sleep, but Sophia is as alert as ever.

"Um, eight in the bloodbath…Marcus, the tribute that died…there was one in the night and then there were three in a row," Sophia counts. "So fourteen," I shake my head in shock. Fourteen dead already. That's just under half and it's only just day 2. The thought of splitting up enters my head once more and I can tell the others are thinking the same thing, but none of us wants to say it.

"That tribute…I don't even know why she jumped in front of me," Joseph says, changing the subject cleverly. Marina starts to stir, maybe our conversation is waking her up, and Joseph helps her sit up. She yawns into her hand, still sleepy.

"Maybe because she thought you were someone else. It was hard to tell in the darkness. She might have thought you were her friend or something," I suggest, although the idea is pretty rubbish. Marina yawns again, looking around, her hand resting lightly on her bow nearby.

"Does it matter? The point is, she jumped in front of you to save your life and now she's dead. That's one less tribute to worry about," Sophia snaps. I see Joseph pale at that, maybe at the guilt of being partly responsible for someone's death, maybe the thought of all those dead tributes. Marina, of course, jumps to his defense at once.

"Hey, leave him alone," she snaps. "It's not his fault and you know it," Sophia scowls; a mixture of heat, exhaustion and weariness is wearing her down and I can tell it's giving her a terrible mood. And she's never one to suffer in silence.

"Oh wow, the mouse has a voice," she says sarcastically. "It would be refreshing if it weren't so annoying," Marina scowls at once, anger filling her face.

"Shut up, Sophia!" she retorts. "You're not the only one suffering in here. Just because you're upset over Marcus' death-" The moment Marina mentions his name, Sophia turns mad. She throws her knives down in anger and practically leaps for Marina, but my reactions kick in. I grab her around the waist, dragging her away from my friend, despite her shouting and scratching me. Joseph is up at once, hovering protectively over Marina.

"Enough!" he yells. "Stop having a go at each other! This is what they want!" He scowls at Sophia, who has stopped fighting. For now. "We can't stick together if we're going to act like this," He says in a softer tone. Marina stands up, her bow in her hands, and I notice the way she's standing. I recognize that stance. It's the one I would take if Ella were here, and the one John would have if Sarah were nearby. She's preparing to fight for the one person that counts to her in here.

"Maybe we shouldn't stick together then," she replies. "Maybe we should split up," I feel a bit shocked that it's Marina who's saying this, but then in this environment we have to be like this. And one of us is going to say it at some point.

"No, no, I'm sorry," Sophia struggles out of my arms, her face regretful. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Let's stick together for the moment," I'm just as shocked that she would say that but I nod, having had enough of confrontation. The only time I enjoy it is when you can punch your way out of a situation.

"Come on, settle down," I say. "Let's not fight now, at least. We've just had a rough night, we're being stupid" I'm surprised once more when they actually listen to me and sit down nearby, Marina apologizing to Sophia. She looks a little embarrassed but she shouldn't be. We're all going to lose it a little in here sooner or later.

"Right, so we should think about food because I'm starving" I say at once. Marina nods, gesturing to her bow and arrow.

"I can try and shoot something with this. And our legacies are back so we can always catch something with telekinesis," she suggests. Sophia nods, about to say something when Joseph jumps to his feet, suddenly alert.

"Hey, what's that?" I look over to where he's pointing, my hand reaching for my pipe staff at once. I watch as two people stagger out of the jungle, dropping their weapons to the sand as they collapse, coughing. I faintly recognize a blonde head of hair and that has to be-

"Maren!" Marina is up at once, and I watch as one of the tributes looks over to see us. "Maren! John!" She begins to run over and Joseph joins her, apparently wanting to ally up with them too. Maybe they're so relieved to see a familiar face in here. Sophia looks at me, a doubtful look in her eyes, before she sighs and reaches for our things.

"Guess we got new allies," I say, half happy, half annoyed. This is not what I need. More tributes to protect and care for before they're killed. But still, I can understand the appeal; I want to see how my friends are doing just as much as Marina and Joseph must want to. I approach John and Maren, noticing the scorch marks on their clothes and their coughing. But that soon disappears when Marina starts to heal them both.

"What the hell happened to you?" I ask in confusion, passing them our water bottle. I notice they have their own water bottle but it's empty. Maren takes a long drink, her eyes on John, as if he's about to break or something. I notice that Sarah isn't around and I get a feeling of dread in my stomach, especially when I see the look in John's eyes.

"A fire," Maren gasps. "We were just sleeping and then this fire came out of nowhere, just like our Games. It seemed to disappear the closer we got to a beach so we decided to head for here. That's when you guys turned up," She passes the bottle to John, smiling in relief as Marina heals the small burns on her hands and arms.

"What the hell is going on?" Sophia frowns. "There's a trick going on all the time, I swear," she frowns. Maren looks confused, straightening up now that she's healed. Marina moves on to John, who just stares at the ground, a little shell-shocked. I notice the way that Maren hovers over him protectively, as if she's his guardian or something.

"Why, what happened to you?" Maren asks. She's got her sword tucked into her belt once more and then she reaches for this silver bag thing at her waist. She unties it and I realize that it's a parachute, like the one we were sent. My mouth begins to water when I see the bread rolls and apples inside; something big must have happened for them to be sent that.

"This fog stuff that burnt us," Marina explains, rocking back onto her heels now that she's finished healing. Maren starts to pass the rest of her food around, pressing the largest amount into John's hand. "It took away our legacies…Marcus," Marina shoots a cautious look at Sophia, but she looks composed. "Marcus died,"

"And then we were attacked by these monkeys mutts," Joseph adds, chewing on a bread roll. "That's when we decided to stay on the beach," he smiles. I chew hungrily on my bread roll, my stomach gargling when the food hits it. We settle down on the beach, weapons at the ready, and I watch as John very slowly chews on his food. There's definitely something wrong.

"So, what happened to you guys?" Marina seems to notice the same thing as her eyes take in John, concern on her face. Maren shrugs, and I can see the weariness on her face; she must have been through a lot.

"We were hit by this blood rain in the middle of the night," she says. "It was so gross," she shudders. "We made it to the beach to wash the blood off before heading back into the jungle" She shoots a look at John who just stares numbly ahead, as if somewhere else entirely.

"Then we were attacked by the careers," Maren says slowly, something like pain in her voice. "There were two scouts sent ahead. I killed one and John killed another…but not before…" She trails off and then John speaks up for the first time, his voice raw.

"Not before they killed Sarah,"

Even though I knew it was coming, I'm still shocked. The thought of the kind, gentle girl who I got to know quite well being dead is just…it's not right. Anger churns in my stomach and the familiar hatred caused by the mogs starts to rise up in me. They'll pay for this. Maybe I won't be the one to do it, but they'll pay in the end. My anger becomes stronger and stronger but I force it down, knowing it'll have to wait until later. Revenge will have to wait.

There's a long silence as we all look around awkwardly, not sure what to do. Maren pats his back awkwardly, and John looks around at all of us, as if daring us to do something. Then Marina gets up and heads over to John, gently wrapping her arms around him in a short hug. I'm a little shocked by her forwardness but even more surprised when John makes a funny sobbing noise and wraps his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," I get another surprise when Sophia is the first to speak. "I'm sorry for your loss," she says, formally. It's awkward but it's like it gets us moving, because Joseph reaches out and pulls John into a hug once Marina moves away, wiping a tear from her eye. It's easy to forget that we all knew and liked Sarah as well, even if she clearly meant more to John that the rest of us.

"If there's anything we can do, just ask and-" I begin to say but then Maren jumps up with a cry, weapons in hand. I look to see two people on the cornucopia, clutching weapons. I don't know who they are but it doesn't matter. They're threats and we've lost one too many friends already: first Marcus and now Sarah. I grab my pipe staff, and Joseph takes a hold of his sword, whilst Marina loads her bow. Even John stands up, his sword loosely held in his hand.

"Wait!" Sophia jumps up, a grin on her face. I stare at her in confusion as she waves to the two tributes, almost looking happy. "That's Melvin and Joslyn. I know them! They can help us!" she grins.

Disbelief runs through me and I shake my head at once; there is no way I'm taking two more allies. This is insane. We're a big enough group as it is; at the rate we're going, we might as well ally up with the rest of the tributes in the arena. I grab Sophia's arm to stop her from moving towards the cornucopia and I can see the same trepidation on the other's faces as Joslyn and Melvin start to head for us.

"Have you lost your _damn mind?" _I scowl. "We don't need another ally! Especially ones we don't trust!" I protest, the others nodding along. But Sophia removes her arm, fixing with me a smile. She looks so happy and so relieved that it confuses me. It's like she expected this to happen or something.

"Trust me, they'll be useful," she says softly. "They'll help us kill the careers"

* * *

**So, hope you guys enjoyed! I know it wasn't the most interesting of chapters but it had to happen.**

**Please review! :D**


	34. Chapter 33 - We're a Team

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews and support! I love to hear what you all think and your reviews are the only reason I keep posting! Thank you all so much!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Melvin and Joslyn are like Beetee and Wiress. I thought that their characters were pretty important for plot development so that's why they're part of the group.**

\- **The Mockingjay part starts in about ten chapters or so. I was thinking of stopping this story and starting a sequel but then I had some ideas and decided to carry on to 50 chapters for this story :D**

**So once more a huge thank you for everything and hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 33 – We're a Team

**John – Day 2 (1 PM)**

I wipe the sweat out of my eyes as I watch Joslyn and Melvin explaining something to Maren and Sophia. I don't trust the two newcomers, even though Sophia claims they'll help us. They seem nice enough, if not extraordinarily clever, but that doesn't mean that they won't slit our throats in our sleep. After everything that's happened, I don't want to be killed in the middle of the night without being able to defend myself.

Nearby, Joseph and Marina are swimming in the sea, their laughter reaching my ears as they splash around. Watching them playing and flirting causes a lump to form in my throat; that's how Sarah and I were once. Once when things were so easy and we had our whole lives ahead of us. I hadn't realised then just how lucky I was until now. I hastily blink back tears, not wanting to look weak but it's so hard when she's gone. She was everything to me, _everything_, and now she's gone forever.

I close my eyes, picturing her beautiful face in my mind. That kind smile, those beautiful eyes…I'll never see them again, never see her smile or hear her laugh. I take in a shuddering breath, trying to blink back the tears in my eyes, but the pain in my chest makes it impossible. It's so strong and painful that I'm surprised it doesn't break me. If I thought I knew heartbreak before then I was wrong.

"Joseph, stop it!" I open my eyes as Marina laughs, dodging out of the way as he splashes her. Joseph grins and then lightly tackles her in the water, causing another stream of laughter. They're both acting like kids and I clench my fists angrily. I can feel my anger growing as they continue to laugh; they're going to attract the careers if they're not careful.

"Idiots! Stop being so-" I start to get to my feet as Joseph laughs particularly loudly but then someone reaches out and grabs my arm, stopping me from rising. I look in shock to see Stanley smiling at me, lighting shoving me down onto the sand again. He grins but there's a slightly guarded look on his face.

"Hey, don't be mad at them. They're just having fun," he says. It's so unlike him to be reasonable and for me to be the out-of-control one that I just do as he says. He settles down next to me, watching as Marina and Joseph swim lazily in the sea, not having heard me. If I didn't know better, you'd think we were on holiday.

"They're being stupid," I scowl. "Every career is going to know our position because of them!" I snap. Stanley looks at me knowingly, his face almost kind for him.

"They're having fun," he says again. "And after the night we've had, they deserve it" I clench my teeth, anger taking over me. Maybe it's the only way I feel like I can act; maybe it's Sarah's death catching up to me. Maybe because the others are acting like they've suffered as much as me when they haven't lost the one they love. _I'm _the one suffering here.

"Oh right, _you _had such a hard night," I scowl. "At least you didn't lose the girl you love," I snap, my hands clenching into fists, fighting back tears. Stanley sighs and he almost looks old, his face lined with weariness. His skin has a slight grey tinge to it, as if he's deprived of sleep.

"No, we just lost two friends instead and watched a tribute we didn't even know sacrifice herself for us," Stanley replies calmly. "Dude, if _I'm_ being reasonable, then you know something is wrong," he smirks, but I can tell he's trying to be kind.

I sigh, watching the sea glint in the sun, trying to calm down. Stanley's right; I'm not the only one who's had a hard time. I think of Maren, who broke down when she realised that she'd killed one of her own race but who had to piece herself back together after Sarah was killed. She did it for me and I've been nothing but ungrateful. Sophia lost the only other survivor from her Games whilst Joseph has to live with the guilt that someone died for him and he doesn't even know their name. We've all had a hard night.

"I'm sorry," I whisper softly. "It's just…" I trail off, not sure what to say. I feel hot tears flood into my eyes but I try to blink them away, not sure what Stanley would say.

"Look, I know the others have suffered, and I just wanted to make sure that _you_ knew," Stanley says, looking annoyed that he's not making himself very clear. "I just wanted you to realise that. But it still doesn't make your loss any easier," I nod, tracing my fingers in the sand. The lump in my throat is huge and I swallow a few times, not sure what to say. I want to break down and cry but the only person I feel like I can do that with now is Henri and he's miles away.

"I just…I miss her," I whisper, my voice broken. "I'd do anything to see her again, see her smile, hear her laugh," I suck in a breath, pulling my knees to my chest to ignore the flash of pain. "I just want her back," I whisper, pressing my lips together to stop myself from crying more.

Stanley watches me for a long time and I wonder what it must be like for him. Like me, he lost the girl he loved to in the Games and like me he had to hide it to prove that he was still strong. But unlike me, he wasn't in as deep and didn't love her as much. I wonder what it must be like for him to see me like this, knowing that was like that once. It must be hard on him too, must bring back memories.

"I wanted Maddy back every day after her death," When he talks, I can hear the pain in his voice. "I wanted to apologise for everything, for putting her at risk" he sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I wasted a lot of effort feeling sorry for myself and feeling guilty for things that hadn't been my fault. Don't do the same,"

I stare at him in shock, unsure of what to say. I'd never known that he felt guilty about Maddy's death, but then maybe I never wanted to acknowledge it. The way he spoke in Navaria, the way he always looks so sad whenever we talk about our Games, the way he protected Marina and Joseph from me…Maybe Stanley is still guilty to this day. He's just learnt to live with the guilt so that it doesn't weigh on his every thought.

"You still love her?" I ask him softly. Stanley shrugs, looking away from me and towards the others. They're crowded around together, talking and I can even see a smile on Maren's face.

"No…I miss her…still feel guilty," Stanley sighs. "But I don't love her anymore. I've moved on, as I should have done a while ago," he smiles sadly. "Doesn't mean that I won't avenge her death," he says, a firm tone in his voice. I nod, trying to hide my shock. Maybe if Stanley could do it, then I could.

But then I think of Sarah, her beautiful face and personality and I know that I can never get over her. How can I? Someone that perfect will never exist ever again and I'll certainly never have the pleasure of knowing them. Black despair and grief washes over me and tears flood into my eyes again, threatening to pull me into the silent stillness that I'd taken on after her death. It takes all my effort to keep strong and not allow that to happen.

"But," Stanley laughs grimly. "I can only say that a year after her death," He notes. There's a lighter look in his eyes and he gently pats my back, standing upright. "But don't forget, you have us. You have your friends around you," He doesn't have to add that of course in a few days we could all be dead.

He heads away, whistling cheerfully to himself, but I can't find it in me to smile. The talk doesn't change anything; I still miss Sarah more than anything. Now that Stanley's gone I start to feel the grief wearing me down, reminding me of her missing presence. I feel like a part of me is missing and is never coming back. I want to curl up in a ball and cry without worrying about cameras or sponsors or careers. But I don't have the luxury and I know Sarah would expect me to carry on fighting. It's that thought that makes me continue to fight.

"Here," Maren heads over, some fish in her hands. It looks raw but I realise, when my stomach grumbles, that I'm so hungry I could eat anything. I smile and take it from her, watching as she settles down next to me. Her face is lined with weariness and I can sense her exhaustion.

"You should sleep," I say softly. She looks at me oddly, as if expecting me to revert to my comatose state but I nod encouragingly at her, to show her that I won't do that. She sighs, rubbing her temples.

"I can't," she whispers. "I see their faces," she winces slightly and I notice the vulnerable air around her.

"Whose?" I ask gently. Maren rests her head on her knees as she wraps her arms around her legs.

"The career I killed," She says. I think of the career that she killed, the one she had to batter to death with the rock. I haven't even thought about the boy I killed but it's different; he killed Sarah. He had it coming. Thinking of her death makes me feel sick so I quickly think of something else, not wanting to return to that mental state.

"And who else?" I ask. She sighs, her eyes fixed on the sea.

"My family's," she admits. "I can't help but wonder if they'll be ashamed of me. If they're alive even," She bites her lip in worry and I remember my own dead family. I hadn't thought about my grandparents in a while, but it was like Stanley said; the grief stays with you yet you learn to ignore it. You learn to live with it without even realising it's there after a while. It's so normal that you get used to it.

"They would be proud of you for fighting for them," I say softly, wrapping an arm around her. If she's surprised, she doesn't say anything. In fact, she moves closer to me, her head resting on my shoulder. For now, it seems that I'm returning the favour and looking after her.

"Thanks," she says softly, not looking like she believes me. "I'm sorry you know. About Sarah's death…I wish…I don't know what I wish," she finally sighs. I squeeze her shoulder, looking out to the sea and the cornucopia.

"I know exactly what you wish," I say, my voice hard. "You want to make them pay" I look grimly at her, thinking of the mogs, the murderers who have ruined my life. Who have ruined every Loric's life.

"And we will," Maren says. "We'll make every single damn one of them pay,"

Xxx

**Stanley – Day 2 (2 PM)**

"So what do we do now? Hang about until the next attack or trick?" Joseph asks, chewing on some fish that Maren caught for us. We're sat on the rocks of the cornucopia, claiming the island for ourselves. There are enough of us that most other tributes would be scared to fight us; even the careers would be stupid to do so. There aren't enough of them compared to our number.

"Enjoy the weather," Maren replies. "Pretend we're on holiday," She lies on the rocks, basking in the sun, grinning at Joseph in a playful way. I never realized that there was this playful side to her at all but I kind of like it.

"I don't know what kind of holidays you've been on, but I don't think I ever want to join you," Joseph grins, sitting on a rock and letting his legs soak in the water. "But I will admit that a holiday that consists of fighting does seem like your kind of thing," he teases her. Marina looks up from restocking her arrows into one quiver, a light smile on her face.

"I don't think your idea of a holiday would be much better," she teases him. "Hiking, cliff diving…sounds more like a training camp," Joseph sticks his tongue out at her and I laugh, joining in one the conversation.

"What would you rather do? Sunbathe, shop, take in the local culture? Sounds like a shit holiday," I say sarcastically. Maren rolls her eyes, straightening up, and playfully glaring at me.

"Your idea of culture only stretches to food," she points out. "If you opened your mind, it could be fun," I wrinkle my nose, shaking my head at once. I have a feeling that she's not into that stuff either but is just backing Marina to prove a point. Girl power and all that crap.

"Walking around a stuffy old ruin sounds like my holiday from hell. Give me a hike any day," I protest. Joseph nods along and Marina laughs, slinging her bow and arrow over her back.

"Well then, you boys will have to go off on your hiking holiday and us girls will go to a beach to chill," Marina grins at Maren, who nods in agreement. "What about you John?" She turns to John, who's been following the conversation with a soft smile. "Which holiday you joining?"

"I think I'll do the culture," he says, putting on a sophisticated voice. "And leave you barbarians to your holidays" I laugh, chucking a pebble at him, but he dodges. Sophia grins nearby, lazily lying on the rocks and enjoying the sun.

"Well, seems for the moment, we're stuck with the boys' holiday," she laughs. "Hiking and fighting for us, no sunbathing just yet," Joseph raises an eyebrow, pointedly looking at her.

"So what are you doing right now then?" he grins. Sophia flips her finger at him and we all laugh, all enjoying the moment. Maybe it's the sun or our full stomachs that make us feel better, or maybe it's the feeling of safety that being in a large group does for you. No matter what it is, this is the most relaxed I've felt in days and I can tell it's the same for the others. I've never really seen the playful side from people like Maren and Sophia and it's nice. I wish I could see that part of them more often.

"Does anyone actually trust the newcomers?" Maren nods to Joslyn and Melvin who are far away enough to not hear us, bent over that funny piece of wire that Melvin can't let go of. They're in their mid-twenties and are extremely intelligent but have kept to themselves. The only ones they've really been talking to is Sophia.

"I think so," Marina sits up, a frown on her face. "They keep planning ways to kill the careers and not us. Besides, I think we could take them if they turned on us and they know it," I nod in agreement. We could easily take the two of them without blinking an eyelid if we wanted to.

"The real problem is-" Joseph begins to say when Joslyn and Melvin head over to us, an excited look on their faces. Melvin still has the coil of wire in his hands, absently stroking it as if it's a pet. I wonder if he's right in the head.

"Guys, we have an idea for the-" They're cut off by the funny chiming noise again, this time only ringing two times. As always, the ringing noise sends a shiver of dreaded anticipation down my spine and I look around, expecting a new disaster. The others are up as well, their faces wary, waiting for the next trick. Will it be more mutts? Or will it be some natural disaster with a twist? I can't see anything so I assume it's because we're not in the jungle and I can only imagine the latest horror in there.

"What _is_ that thing?" John frowns, forgetting his grief for the moment. Ever since our chat he seems to be working hard on ignoring his pain. "It keeps happening," I watch as Marina turns around in a circle, her eyes taking in the gravel spokes. Understanding dawns on her face and she turns to us, an excited gleam in her eyes.

"It's a clock!" She says. Joslyn's eyes light up at once and she looks around, her mouth opening in shock as she takes everything in. I try and see what they're seeing but it's not making much sense. I guess there's a reason they say that I'm better for the fighting. Intelligence isn't my kind of thing. I'm the kind of guy where it's better to tell me what to punch.

"Wait, what?" Joseph frowns and I'm relieved not to be the only one slightly confused.

"Marina's right, the arena's a clock," Joslyn says softly. Maren and I share a look of confusion and Marina laughs kindly, pointing to the spokes.

"Look, twelve spokes, like twelve hours on a clock. There's a ringing noise every hour for a new Gamemaker trick," she explains in a rush. I nod in understanding, taking in the arena with new eyes. I don't understand how I didn't get it before.

"So at 11 there was the fog and then at 12 the monkeys" Marina says excitedly, her face lit up. Maren jumps onto the rocks at the edge of the island, taking in the arena keenly. Nearby, Joslyn settles on a rock and starts humming to herself as she dips her feet in the sea. She seems happy now that we've figured out that the arena is a clock.

"So all we have to do is wait for something that's big to figure out the time and where the threats are. Then we can just move from sector to sector! If it's like a clock, it'll go clockwise," Maren says excitedly. I shake my head, an idea forming in my mind. Joslyn continues to hum and it starts to really bug me.

"The Gamemakers aren't stupid. If we did that, it would be easy to figure out. The chiming already gives it away. I bet that this clock isn't in order at all and that the tricks jump from random sectors to another. No order at all," I say. Sophia nods, unusually quiet for her. I'm thinking of telling Joslyn to shut the hell up because her humming is driving me mad.

"So we just have to hope that we're not in the sector that the trick is in. We have a 1/12 chance I guess. It could be worse," Sophia shrugs. Marina sighs, settling down on a rock again, Joseph next to her. I sigh in annoyance, when I realize Joslyn's humming has stopped. I turn to see if she's all right, glad that the sound has stopped at least.

I turn just in time to see her throat being slit.

"No!" I yell but it's too late. The cannon booms and she falls into the water, dead, her blood staining the sea red. From behind her body, Callum rises, a spear and dagger in his hand. He throws the spear at me at once but I duck and it hits the cornucopia with a clanging noise. Callum turns to run, but I chase him, furious that he killed Joslyn. I hear the others shouting for me to stop but I can't control my anger. Joslyn was unarmed, innocent, helpless…

"I'll kill you, you sick bastard!" I yell, chasing him around the cornucopia. I hear more shouting and then the clash of metal as the others fight off the other careers. I hear another cannon and I turn to see Joseph pushing a dead boy away from him, a grimace on his face. I can see Maren fighting a girl, and nearby Marina has her bow armed, aimed for Callum that killed Joslyn. He's just out of my reach and I gesture for Marina to shoot him, when I hear a thud behind me.

"Stanley, watch out!" I hear someone scream and then something tackles me from behind. The air is knocked out of me as I hit the rocks and I feel something cold pressing against my throat. I dig my elbow into my attackers stomach and she moves back with a grunt. I get to my feet, my heart thundering, as my hands fumble for my pipe staff. I turn to stab her with it when something cold and sharp presses against my chest. I look down to see that the tribute has a sword pressed right against my chest.

"Don't move, or you're dead!" The girl snarls in triumph. I grimace, wanting to bat it away but I know that she'll move quicker since her weapon is in place. I hear another shout and I prepare to act-

The ground beneath us suddenly jerks, as if in an earthquake and my feet go flying out from me. The girl is tossed away with the movement and as I fall to my knees, I grab the ground at once, clinging onto the rocks. The centre island begins to move quickly, as if we're a massive, spinning wheel. Waves crash around us and the world spins around me crazily as the island spins around, speeding up maddeningly.

"Stanley!" Someone calls my name and then John tumbles past me. It takes all my effort to grab his arm and pull him away from the churning water that would drown him in seconds. He grabs the rock close to me, shooting me a grateful look. Nearby I can see Sophia clinging to the rocks, her face buried against the rock. I remember her once telling me that she can't swim very well, and the only way she got to the cornucopia just yesterday was her telekinesis. I try to crawl over to her to help her, but it's too much effort and I don't want to be swept away.

I hear the rushing of the water and I shut my eyes, pressing myself against the rock desperately. I hear shouting nearby but no one can be fighting on this. They'd die or be thrown off. I hear a groaning sound and I look up to see some of the weapons being freed from their cases or racks due to the force of the wind. I duck down as an axe flies over my head and I hear a yell of pain. I have no idea if that was one of my friends or not. I cling to the rock, my fingers digging in and nearby I watch as Joslyn's dead body falls into the water, washed away immediately. The water is a churning mess and I cling on tighter, desperate to stay safe.

"Stanley! I can't hold on!" I hear Sophia scream nearby. I watch as her hand slips from the rock and then she tumbles towards the water, her mouth opening in a scream.

I react without thinking, knowing that she can't swim. I jump off the rock, grabbing her around the waist and then we hit the water with a loud splash. It's chaos. We're spun around and around and around, the water everywhere. My breath is snatched from me and I'm desperate for air, but I can't see the surface. Sophia clings to me, apparently terrified, as her nails dig into my arm. I hear the roar of the water and feel the force of the waves as we tumble over and over, worried about hitting the rock spokes or the island. Then it's all over. There's a sudden stillness as the island stops moving. The waves continue, not dying down completely, and a wave knocks Sophia and I onto the gravel spoke, both of us clinging to the rock.

I hear shouting and see the others running towards us, all of them safe, if not a little scared. There's a large bruise on Maren's face and I can see blood on Melvin's face but it seems that everyone is ok and unharmed. I can't see the careers anyway and I bet they ran away. They better have done, for their sake.

"Are you all right?" I cough onto the ground, watching as Sophia gasps for breath nearby, her face pale. She's trembling as much as I am but I don't know if it's from cold or fear.

"I'm fine," Sophia nods, coughing up water. She reaches out, placing her hand on mine for the briefest moment. "Thank you, Stanley. You saved my life," she says softly, a vulnerable look on her face. Then the others run over, helping us stand up and making sure we're all right. John pulls me to my feet, patting my back, his face filled with concern. Nearby, Marina heals Maren's face, whilst Joseph acts as a guard, preparing for another attack. I stand shakily, feeling oddly vulnerable after the trick and my knees feel weak.

"What the hell was that?" Maren demands, peering around for the careers but it seems that they've gone.

"They wanted the careers to go," Sophia whispers, her teeth chattering as she wrings the water out of her hair. "They want our fight to be postponed until later. For the grand finale"

Xxx

**Adam (3 PM)**

"This is urgent," Henri says, locking his office door behind him. "We're getting the tributes out of the arena,"

I choke on my coffee, the liquid spraying out onto my shirt. I blush furiously, trying to wipe away the stains but coffee is a nightmare to get out of white clothes. Nearby, Alicia smirks, but she looks too nervous to really appreciate the moment. Hannah stays in the back of my mind, always there and listening, but we're not as close as we once were. After I found out that she had lied to me from the beginning, it's never been the same. How can I trust her anymore?

"Ok, but how?" I snort. "The arena is built like an underground bunker with a force field. There's no way they can break it," Henri shoots me a tired look, the bags under his eyes more pronounced than ever.

"That doesn't matter. The technicalities and complications don't affect you," he snaps. I wince slightly and his face softens once he realizes he was being harsh. "Some of the tributes inside the arena know the plan and have already conducted a way of getting out. All that you need to worry about is coming with us,"

I stare at him in stupid shock. "You're taking me away? To where?" Alicia snorts again but her eyes are filled with nerves. She's scared of something but I have no idea what it is.

"We're going to the Resistance's headquarters. It's the only place that you and the Victors will be safe now," she explains. I frown in confusion, shaking my head.

"But I'm your insider spy. I could be so much more helpful here," I protest. Henri sighs, rubbing his temples in exhaustion.

"Firstly, we have other inside spies. You're not the only one. And anyway, once you help us get some helicopters to save the tributes, you're not going to be a spy anymore," he explains. I stare at him, confused about the helicopters.

"As a Gamemaker, you have access to the hovercrafts that go in and collect the bodies of the dead tributes. We need you to get two of those and we'll man them with our own men to collect our tributes and take them to safety," Henri adds. I nod, understanding dawning over me.

"And once the Gamemakers see that I've used those two hovercrafts to save the Loric, they'll see that I'm a traitor, that I helped you," I state the obvious. Alicia frowns nearby, propping her elbows on her knees. She seems to have a problem with the plan.

"Can't they counter-command though and turn the hovercrafts around with those computer systems?" she asks. I shake my head, my mind spinning.

"I can shut down the digital system so that the only people who can control the hovercraft are inside the thing. And if that's manned by your people, then they're not going to care about following Gamemakers' orders. I'll also cut off the tracking devices in the crafts," I explain. Alicia sighs, throwing her hands up in the air.

"They'll notice before the crafts leave the city! It's a crazy plan!" she snaps. I shake my head, her temper reminding me painfully of Hannah's when something didn't go her way.

"No they won't. There are a good couple of hundred since their purpose is for more than the Games but for war too. Gamemakers won't notice two gone, especially if authorized by me, and if they do, I'll tell them it's for some more deaths tonight. They won't care, they won't think twice about hovercraft. They won't imagine that the arena can fall," I explain kindly.

"Won't they have hovercrafts ready anyway once the arena is down?" Alicia points out. Henri nods, a frown on his face.

"Yes, but not immediately. Ours will be in position to swoop in the minute the arena is down. They won't have as much warning," he explains. "By the time theirs arrive, we'll be long gone,"

"Fine," Alicia sighs. "It seems like it could work. But why two?" she asks Henri, who she clearly trusts more. She's avoided talking to me unless it's necessary ever since our talk the other day and I know she means what she says about not forgiving me. But I also mean what I say about wanting to revenge Hannah's death, even if it means it's Ivan who I have to take the revenge out on.

"One to get the tributes. Kat and I will be in that one," Henri begins. "The other will head straight to the Resistance with you two, some mentors and some other important people," he says, looking down at his notes. I frown but don't say anything. I'd prefer to help the tributes but I know that they won't trust me at all, and I'd be safer in the other helicopter.

"I want to help the tributes though!" Alicia protests. Henri shoots her a look, annoyed.

"You'll be more helpful staying out of the way. This is going to be tricky enough without you wanting to show off," he snaps, but not harshly. "Alicia, there will be many opportunities to show what you can do. This isn't one of them," He says more gently.

"Fine," she bristles. "When do we leave?"

"This evening," Henri explains. "Adam can get the helicopters at 11.30 pm, half an hour before the arena falls. That gives us time to get there but not enough time for the Gamemakers to notice. Then you two will go in the first one, and the second one will head for the arena," Henri explains.

I swallow nervously, my heart hammering in my chest. So much is happening; we're leaving the Capital, saving the tributes and I've become a fully-fledged traitor. I can't believe this is all happening and I know I'm not really taking it in. But I have to because this time tomorrow, I'll be a member of the Resistance.

Xxx

_The waiting is awful, _Hannah says nervously, biting on her nails. It's not even evening yet and I'm stressed. I can't order the crafts until half an hour before we go and I'm on edge, terrified. I pace in my office, my heart pounding frantically.

This is all happening too fast. The Games are ending tonight and I'm going to the Resistance to be a fully-fledged traitor. I don't know if I can do this, even though I want to help the Loric. But never before had my life been in danger until now. With my life on the line, everything is so different.

_Adam, there's no point stressing. You've got a few hours yet before we order the helicopters. Please, just relax. You're setting _me_ on edge. _I sigh, sitting down on my chair, my eyes landing on the clock. At least eight hours to go. Eight hours of painful waiting.

"I can't believe the Gamemakers don't even suspect a thing," I whisper. I'd told them earlier that I was going to release two helicopters at 11.30 to deal with the inevitable dead bodies for this evening. The other Gamemakers had agreed without even batting an eyelid; they were too proud of the success of their Games so far to even care.

_Yeah well, they're stupid and arrogant. They don't think for one second that their arena can fall and the tributes can escape,_ she says. I nod, putting my head in my hands. Hannah hesitates but I can feel her desire to speak to me, to talk.

_Adam, I don't want things to be like this between us. I can't stand it,_ she whispers. I shake my head, wanting to run from her but she's always there. I can't escape her, no matter how much I want to right now.

"What do you want me to say? That I'm ok with you for betraying me? For lying to me from the beginning?" I laugh bitterly. "That everything was a lie," Hannah shakes her head, reaching out and placing her hand on my arm. The only problem is that her hand just passes straight through.

_You know that everything was _not_ a lie. That I do care for you...deeply. Besides, we've both made mistakes, _Hannah reminds me. I wince painfully, shaking her hand off, even though she wasn't even touching me.

"Yeah, I know. I let you die, I let Ivan kill you," I snarl, my voice filled with anger. "What can I do to make up for that? I've done everything!" I sob, pressing my hand to my mouth. My eyes are filled with hot angry tears, and I just feel like my heart's been broken again and again and again.

_Adam, stop blaming yourself! You never let me die! _I _made the decision to die, _Hannah says angrily. _I knew what I was getting into when I took on the Resistance's plan and got involved with you! _I wince at her tone but don't say anything. What can I say?

_I never blamed you for my death, Adam. It was never your fault. I know that you would have given your life for mine if you could…I just wouldn't let you._ I sniff, wiping away the tears from my eyes. For the first time since her death, hope blossoms in my chest.

"You really have forgiven me?" I whisper. She smiles at me, sitting in front of me, her hair falling around her face beautifully. Her eyes are filled with tenderness and some other emotion I can't read.

_I never blamed you to start with. That was all me,_ she says softly. _We've all made mistakes. You should never have blamed yourself for my death. I should have told you about the Resistance and the plan initially being theirs. I should have trusted you more, _she whispers, reaching for my hand. I let her rest hers on mine; both our skin pale, though hers because of her ghostlike form.

"It doesn't matter," I whisper. "It changes nothing. You still helped me in the end. Still stayed with me through everything. The beginning might have been different from what I thought but that never changed the ending," She shakes her head, her mouth working as tears slip down her cheeks.

_No, I should have told you. I was just so scared that you would hate me so I kept lying and lying and lying. You're too special to me and I didn't want to lose you, _she whispers, tears in her eyes. I open my mouth to say something but she carries on.

_I know it was their idea, but I was the one to choose you. I knew you were special the moment I saw you. And…I was the one to bond with you…to become friends with you._ I nod, feeling better for the first time in a while.

"None of it was a lie? The being friends part?" I ask. Hannah shakes her head, her eyes kind.

_Adam, you were my friend the moment you changed. You've been the best friend I've ever had. You've given me everything and I've just hurt you. I'm so sorry, _she looks down but I shake my head at once, wishing I could hold her for once.

"Like you said, we've both made mistakes. But there's no point lingering on the past," I say softly. And I mean it. Hannah hurt me by not telling me the truth, but then how can I blame her? She was scared of losing me and I'm the only thing she's got left. And she's never left me when I needed her; she's always been there for me, and that more than makes up for her lie. We've both made mistakes but if we're going to survive this coming war, and I'm sure there will be a war, then we have to work together. We have to trust one another implicitly.

Hannah sighs, and reaches out, pressing her hand against my cheek. I feel the briefest sense of warmth but I don't know if I'm imagining it. I want to lean into her hand, have her arms wrap around me, but I know that will never happen.

_Please forgive me, _she begs, tears slipping down her cheeks. _I don't deserve it, I know, but please._ She sniffs and I smile gently, reaching out and pressing my hand against her cheek. If she feels it, she doesn't say and I can't feel anything.

"I never blamed you to start with," I use her line and she smiles softly. "We both had our secrets…both had our reasons. The past should stay in the past," I say. Hannah nods, her face more determined than before.

_We have to forgive and forget and move on, _she says. _And I never lied about you being my best friend to me, Adam, The only friend I've ever had. _

"I know," I say softly. "But none of that matters now. I…I trust you, no matter what," I smile softly and she returns it. "We're a team, Hannah. You and I, we'll always be a team,"

Hannah nods, smiling but there are more tears in her eyes. "Always"

* * *

**So hope you all enjoyed! The next two chapters are going to have a lot of action and be pretty big! **

**I'm going off to Uni next Saturday so I'm planning on updating on Friday.**

**Please review!**


	35. Chapter 34 - Unfolding Plans

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I know I say it every time but they all mean so much to me and I look forward to them every time I update! Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this story and who regularly updates.**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **John is definitely going to man up and do stuff soon. He's just going through a little blip at the moment because Sarah just died.**

\- **I will definitely add more humour but I haven't had many chances lately. But I will try and add that soon.**

\- **Ella and Sam are coming up soon! Hopefully Alicia will become more likeable soon!**

**So a final thank you for everything and please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 34 – Unfolding Plans

**Maren – Day 2 (3 PM)**

"Another one dead…just like that," I sigh, my fingers tracing patterns in the sand. "I've lost count of how many are dead at this point," Marina watches me nearby, her face kind.

"At least it wasn't one of us," she says softly. I bristle at that, even though I know she meant well. By one of us, she means one of our friends and I know that she's right. But I can't help but let my anger take over.

"One of us? They're all _one of us,_" I snap. "Every damn tribute in here is _one of us! _The careers are one of us! Joslyn was one of us! We're all the same race!" I yell in ager. Marina pales and looks down at the sand, her face hidden.

"You're right, I'm sorry," she whispers. Seeing her apologise makes me even angrier but I don't say anything. She's not the reason I'm angry; she doesn't deserve to get the brunt force of it. I look down at the sand, angrily wiping away the useless pattern I drew. I just want to go home to the safety of my old house with my mother and sisters. I don't want to be here.

"I have a plan," I'm interrupted from my moping by Melvin, who stands up with his precious coil of wire. He adjusts his glasses that balance on his nose and a weird pang runs through my chest; he reminds me so much of Sam with his glasses, shy demeanour and crazy intelligence. I wish Sam were here yet I'm glad he's not. I know he'd end up in the same place as Sarah.

"What's that?" Stanley walks over, kneeling in the sand next to Melvin. The others draw closer and I shoot Marina an apologetic smile, which she replies to with a gentle smile. I look away, a pang of sadness racing through me. Someone that nice shouldn't be in here.

"We want to kill the careers," Melvin points out and I see Sophia roll her eyes nearby. I hide my smile and concentrate on Melvin instead.

"Yep, you got that right," Stanley mutters, and there's definitely a sarcastic edge in his voice. Melvin ignores him and gently brushes a bit of wet sand off his wire.

"Why aren't the careers here now? Because we claimed the beach for ourselves," Melvin explains. Sophia nods, her face calculating.

"So if we leave, the careers come back," she points out. Melvin nods, a feverish look in his eyes. His hands are shaking with excitement and I can't help but think that this genius is slightly mad.

"Yes, exactly!" he nods. "And that's the perfect time to strike. When they're on the beach," I roll my eyes, leaning back onto my heels.

"No way. They'll sense an ambush," I point out.

"Yes, but they won't be expecting a trap," Melvin says. "Using this wire, we can kill them and be far away," He grins. I frown in confusion, noticing the same expression on the other's faces. Stanley seems pretty keen for it though and I admit that it would be nice to have our main combatants out of the way.

"How?" Joseph asks politely. Melvin settles down, his fingers lightly tracing his beloved wire.

"At 12, lightning hits that tree over there," he points to the tallest tree in the arena, stretching up high in the air. "I was awake last night and saw it happen," Marina nods along and so does Stanley, so I decide to trust Melvin on this. "Imagine that the electrical current from the lightning strike could travel down the wire and onto the beach where the tributes are hiding," I grin as the idea starts to make sense and I can see the same look on the other's faces. It's genius.

"Yes, but the sand will be dry. Will that conduct the electricity?" Sophia asks. Melvin shakes his head but gestures to me.

"That's when Maren comes in. She has element manipulation and can use her legacy to wash waves up onto the beach to wet the sand where the wire will be buried. Water doesn't like electricity," Melvin says lightly and Stanley grins, a crazy look in his eyes.

"And then goodbye careers," he laughs. I nod, a grim smile playing on my lips, but Sophia looks slightly concerned.

"How will we do this then?" she asks.

"The tree is able to conduct the electric lightning strike without combusting or breaking, which means it's a good conductor. I'll wrap the wire around the tree," Melvin begins. "Whilst I do that, with the rest of you guarding me from potential threats, Joseph and Maren can go off and uncoil the wire. Joseph can then teleport you back to us and we can all back off as a group," Melvin explains. Sophia nods, a relieved look on her face.

"And we'll all stick together," she looks pointedly at Melvin and I feel like I'm missing out on something. Nearby, Stanley shakes his head at the idea, a frown on his face.

"No, it doesn't make sense. Joseph and John should stay as guards; the two of them will be more than enough to guard the tree. After all, Joseph can shape shift and Johnny there can set shit on fire," Stanley points out. I nod along; it's too risky to stay together in a huge group.

"Yeah, and Sophia and I should unravel the wire. Sophia will be able to hear out for careers with her mind control and I will be needed down by the beach," I add. Sophia looks concerned but then Marina jumps in, her face animated.

"Stanley and I can be far guards. We both have super speed so can make it back in time quickly and I have night vision so I can see careers," she pauses and looks at Stanley, as if wondering how to phrase something. "And Stanley is a dedicated fighter," she says delicately.

"You mean he's aggressive and likes to hit things," John says bluntly. Stanley pretends to look miffed but I can tell he's pleased.

"I don't know, we'll all be split up then," Sophia says nervously. I shake my head, smiling reassuringly at her. I never took her for one to like being in large groups.

"Marina and Stanley can run us back to the others once we're done. Or, even better, Joseph can teleport the other two down to us," I suggest. Joseph nods, smiling confidently.

"Two is the perfect number to teleport," he agrees. "We can meet up on the centre island; that will be the only safe place because it's rock and shouldn't be harmed by the lightning strike," Melvin frowns, exchanging a worried glance with Sophia.

"No, we meet by the tree. The beach is too dangerous. The ground won't be wet and we'll be perfectly safe. I think that's the best place to meet," he suggests. "We'll need to meet up as soon as possible," he stresses. I shrug, deciding to play along with Sophia and Melvin's apparent fear.

"Fine, we'll come meet you and hope for the best," I agree. The others nod and we all look around at each other, determined. This is it. If this works, then there won't be many others left in the arena and we'll have to split up. I don't want to have to fight the others but I feel like the chance to avoid that is long gone. I take a deep breath, and reach for one of our water bottles, but it's empty.

"I'll get some more water. When are we going to the tree?" I ask, standing up. Stanley hefts the axe, apparently coming to help.

"We'll leave around ten to be on the safe side," Melvin says. "That way, we'll have plenty of time beforehand," I nod, and then head for the trees, ignoring the chiming that means it's three o' clock. It's starting to become so normal now that I barely pay attention to it.

"Man, that sound creeps me out," Stanley grunts as he thuds the axe into the tree. I can't help but think there must be an easier way to get water, like a near pond, but when the liquid trickles out of the hole in the tree, I decide to ignore my thoughts and fill up the water bottle.

"I know," I agree. "It's so weird," The bottle is full and I take a drink, passing it on to Stanley. I hear a flutter of wings above me, and my stomach growls, as if it knows there's passing food. "Come on, let's head-"

A scream fills the air. Not a scream from one of my fellow tributes but from a young girl, who's been tortured to the point of death.

The scream belongs to my little sister.

"Lilia," I mutter, dropping the bottle. I hear the scream getting away from me but I need to find it, need to save her. "Lilia!"

I run after the scream, shouting her name. I crash through bushes and vines, needing to find her. I need to protect her. I hear Stanley behind me but I'm faster, whipping my head around to find her as I sprint to find her. What are they doing to her? My sister makes a noise that sends a shiver down my spine, and I don't know what they must have done to her to get that noise. I yell her name as I come to a stop in a clearing, the screaming louder and even worse than before. I spin in a circle, expecting to see her nearby on the ground, blood covering her. But I just see a bird in the tree with its mouth open.

A jabberjay. It's a bird that is able to copy and then replicate perfectly the sounds and noises from human being, such as the screams of a tortured girl. The images of my sister being strapped down to a metal table whilst doctors in white coats extract those sounds from her for the bird to overhear run through my mind. The world spins around me and I fall to my knees. I kneel on the ground, throwing up, when the sound stops. I look up blearily to see Stanley there, the dead bird on the ground. He has concern on his face and he runs over, kneeling by me.

"It's ok, Maren, it was only a jabberjay," I'm shaking so badly and more bile rises in my throat. Lilia. What did they do to Lilia? I can't get the screaming out of my mind.

"But where do you think they got those noises from?" I rasp. Stanley whitens and then he grabs my hand, heaving me to my feet.

"Come on, we gotta go back to the beach," he says. I stagger behind him, still feeling sick and shaky when another scream pierces the air. A man's scream.

"Sandor," Stanley spins on his heel, his face transformed, dropping my hand. His eyes turn dark with panic and then he's running like I was, bolting after the noise of the tortured voice. "Sandor!"

I follow him, tripping over vines and bushes until I find Stanley in a clearing, desperately trying to kill the jabberjay that's just out of his reach. The screaming carries on and I recognise the voice as Stanley's mentor. I reach up, snapping the bird's neck with telekinesis and the sound stops. My heart pounds and I feel sick, shaky.

"We need to go!" I yell and Stanley nods, looking sweaty and sick as he grabs my hand. We run through the forest to the beach. I can see the others up ahead, waving at us but they're standing by the edge of the forest. Why didn't they come and find us? I can't hear what they're shouting or gesturing but I can hear the fluttering of wings and I know the jabberjays are coming.

I slam into an invisible glass wall and I fall backwards, gasping, winded. I sit up, trying to break the glass but I know that the others will have done anything to get to us. Stanley slams his fists into the wall but even his strength doesn't make a dent. I continue to pound my fists against the wall, adrenalin and fear pounding in my veins. I notice my hands starting to bleed from my strength but I carry on, desperate to escape this nightmare. Horror starts to rushes through me and that's when they find us. The jabberjays.

A chorus of screaming starts as the birds replay what they heard. Lilia, Katarina, Catia, my mother, Sam…and there are others for Stanley. He just seems to crumple into a ball, giving in at once, as he rocks back and forth. The others are just on the other side and try to comfort us but I can't hear them. I can see the horror on their faces, knowing they can't help us but have to watch us suffer.

At first I put up a fight. I kill every bird I can with telekinesis but more and more come. Lilia, Catia, Katarina, my mother, Sam…their voices go on and on and on. I sink to my knees, the screams going right through me, sinking into my brain. All I can hear are the screams; all I can hear is their pain. What happened to them? Are they dead? The birds keep coming and the screams gets louder, filled with even more pain. I press my hands to my face and then I'm screaming too. Hearing their pain drives me mad, and I can feel myself hunching over into a ball to escape the noise. I ignore the others from behind the wall; I just kneel and scream and scream and scream.

Xxx

"It's over, it's over," I'm shaking, lying in a ball. "It's over, Maren, I promise" Their screams, oh god, their screams. Someone reaches out and holds me, their arms around me tight. It's Marina.

"They were hurting them," I whisper, numb. My sisters…what have they done to my sisters. "They were being tortured," Marina strokes my hair, her touch so soothing. I could almost pretend it's my mother. Oh my mother…

"It wasn't real," John kneels in front of me. Nearby, Sophia hugs Stanley and Joseph kneels by him, saying the same reassuring words to him.

"It's true, it's not real," Melvin adds softly, adjusting his glasses. I just stare at him, feeling too numb to cry or throw up. Their screams…they were filled with so much pain. I want to be sick, but I've already thrown up everything in my stomach.

"They'll be interviewing them back home because we're in the final ten or something like that" Sophia stands up, Stanley still sat on the ground. John reaches out and gently rubs his back, whilst Joseph continues to reassure him. Stanley just looks shell-shocked. I notice his hands are shaking and there are tears in his eyes.

Melvin nods. "It's possible to genetically alter a voice. Your sister could have been talking normally like you or I, but it's possible to alter it so it sounds like she's screaming in absolute agony," he says softly. I look up, hope filling me for the first time.

"It…it wasn't real?" I ask, desperate for it to be the truth. John takes my hands, his eyes genuine and I know he would never lie to me.

"No," he promises me. I nod, shaking, but I feel a tiny bit better. If it's not real, then I can get over it. As long as I know that my sisters and friends are safe and unharmed.

"They wouldn't do that," Sophia snorts. "Torturing little girls for fun? They'd have an uprising" Her voice rises to a shout and she looks up at the sky. "How would you like that, Ra? An uprising in the Capital?" she laughs, kind of manically. We all stare at her in shock and she turns defensive, a small blush on her cheeks.

"What?" Sophia scowls as we all stare at her in shock. "Someone had to say it," she turns away, grabbing the axe. "I'll get you some more water,"

I relax into Marina's arms, as John leans next to me, the two of them protecting me from the world. I can feel both their arms around me, holding me close, until the shaking finally stops.

Xxx

**Marina – Day 2 (9 PM)**

It's beautiful in here. The sun sets over the arena and the sky is painted in differing shades of orange, yellow, blue and pink. The leaves in the trees rustle with the wind and I can hear a chorus of crickets and birds in the jungle. The sea gently laps against the rock spoke I'm sitting on, whilst the washes gently crash onto the beach where the others are. If I shut my eyes, I could be on a different planet, somewhere peaceful and calm.

Maren and Stanley are still quiet after their ordeal earlier and I can only imagine what they went through. Hearing your loved one's screams of pain must be unbearable, even if it isn't real. I can see John sat nearby, his face slightly shell-shocked. It's barely been twelve hours since Sarah died, yet this is the first chance he's had to really mourn her. So much has happened since her death; it feels like it was years ago that Marcus died but that was only last night. I can't imagine how John feels either after Sarah's death. If Joseph had died…no, I can't even think that.

I draw my knees up to my chin, enjoying the moment of calm here on the rock spoke. I needed time to think, to get away from the others. After tonight, there won't be many tributes left at all, and I don't want to have to hurt my friends. I'd rather be caught in a Gamemakers' trick than kill one of them. I knew this time was coming but now that it's here, I'm terrified of leaving. I don't want to go, to leave them but I have to. There can only be one winner and I promised Ella I would fight. Yet if I die, there's only one other person who I want to win this. And really, I'd rather he win than me. The thought of him dying is just too painful.

"You all right?" I look up, a smile appearing naturally on my face when Joseph joins me. He settles down on a nearby rock, his sword in his belt just in case. He's unzipped the top half of his jumpsuit and tied it around his waist, so that his vest is showing. He sits with his arms propped up on his knees and I try to ignore his muscular arms, and how much I wish they would wrap around me.

"Needed some time to think about the plan," I admit. Joseph nods, looking out over the jungle, his face shadowed in the evening night. I forget just how good looking he is and I feel a blush on my cheeks, glad he won't be able to see as well in this low light.

"It will work tonight," Joseph reassures me. "The plan will work and the careers will die," I nod, my stomach churning with nerves.

"I think so too," I agree. "And once the careers are dead that barely leaves anyone but our group," I point out. Joseph nods, biting his lip. I can sense the same turmoil in him that I'm suffering. I look away from him and towards the beach where our friends our, all silently staring at the scenery. I'm not the only one thinking of what will happen after tonight. And I know that some of them will turn to be our enemies as quickly as they became allies.

"We have to go," I finally say. "We have to leave the others after tonight," I sigh. Joseph looks at me, his eyes focused on my face intensely.

"We might not have to," he says gently. I shake my head, looking into his eyes, desperate for him to see the truth.

"Once the careers are gone, we know what happens next," I say bitterly. "I don't want to be the one to shoot first, Joseph. I don't want to be the one responsible for starting this. But if it means that I have to choose between saving you and killing them, then I _will_ shoot first,"

"Maybe you won't have to. Maybe we all refuse to shoot," Joseph takes my hand, a smile on his face. He's filled with so much faith that it kills me. He just doesn't know. He doesn't know how serious the situation is. He truly thinks we can get out of this, because he's too good to think that the others will turn against us. He doesn't think they can do that, but I know better. I saw how easily Sophia killed that boy on the cornucopia yesterday morning. I saw John's face when he was talking about avenging Sarah's death. I saw Stanley's determination to kill Callum after he killed Joslyn. I know they would never _ever_ kill us willingly, but their survival comes first.

"It won't work like that," I say gently. "The mogs will never let another rule change take place, not like they did last year in Round 1. There's only one person coming out of this arena," Joseph looks startled, his eyes filled with sadness.

"I know it's bad when _you're_ saying this," he says softly, reaching out and brushing some hair away from my face. "Ok, if it makes you feel better, we'll go tonight. Once the careers are dead, I'll teleport us away from the others," he says softly. He trusts me implicitly, won't even comprehend the thought of the two of us splitting up, and I know that I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Deal," I nod. I look away from his beautiful green eyes to the beach where the others are gathered. Maybe it's the light, maybe it's the conversation, but they all look so threatening.

"I know what you're doing, you know," I turn back to him, confused. "I know you're going to try and keep me alive, to win this thing," I blush at once, but what can I say? He knows me too well. I just can't bear the thought of being alive without him, and the thought of him dying is so painful, that I want him to live. Someone as good and as kind as him shouldn't die. He should live, have a future. He deserves it.

"What's wrong with that?" I whisper. Joseph laughs gently, his hand still in mine. It feels so nice that I never want to pull my hand away.

"Nothing, only it doesn't work with my plan to keep _you_ alive to win this," he says. I look up, our eyes meeting, and warmth floods through me. If only there could be two winners, then everything would be all right. If only both of us could walk out of this arena instead of one. I feel tears in my eyes and Joseph reaches out, gently wiping them away.

"I won't let you die for me, Marina," he says softly. I shake my head, blinking away my tears. I can see the same pain in his eyes but he hides it better.

"That's not your choice to make," I say roughly. Joseph smiles sadly and then reaches out from under his vest to pull a necklace off his head. It's not the blue one that we all have, it's a gold one, and I can see it's a locket. He opens it but doesn't show me the pictures yet and I can only imagine what's in them.

"It's not just about me," he says. "There are people that need you, Marina. Ella, Hector, Adelina…they all need you. If you die, then some part of them will die, especially Ella. You can't leave her all alone," he says softly.

He shows me the pictures and more tears fill my eyes as I see Ella's smiling face in the locket. Her red hair waving around her face, her huge smile…Pain races through me and I press my hand to my mouth to stop the sobs. I miss her so much. How can I let her down? Knowing that she's watching my every move, how can I let myself die? And Hector, dear Hector who was beaten so badly before I came in here. Who I'd had to try to forget otherwise I'd go mad from worrying. I swallow back my sobs, trying to stay strong, but seeing Ella's face breaks me.

"That's not fair," I whisper roughly. Joseph wraps his arm around me tightly, and I lean into him. I can tell that it hurts him to do this, that he doesn't want to upset me, but he's using every bit of his arsenal to make me relent. Only…I can't. I can't let him die for me.

"It's the truth," he says softly. "I don't mean to hurt you, not at all, but it's the truth. Ella needs you and so does Hector and Adelina. If you die, then they have nothing," he says. I pull back, anger replacing my grief.

"And so what, if you die then everyone is ok?" I demand. "No one cares?" Joseph smiles calmly, trying to placate me but my grief over this conversation is making me angry. I can't have him think like this, I can't. He's too special to die; he's too special to sacrifice himself.

"It's different," he says, without self-pity. "Nobody needs me the way they need you," he says, his eyes filled with peace. It's like he's already come to his decision about his death and nothing will change his mind. Yet nothing is going to change my mind either.

"Someone does," I say slowly. If he dies, I'll never escape the arena. I'll never be able to leave the arena, stuck in here for eternity as I replay his death over and over. "_I_ need you,"

Joseph shakes his head but before he can try and persuade me, I lean forwards and kiss him. He gives in at once, as if, like me, he can't fight his feelings anymore. My eyes flutter shut as his arms wrap around me tightly, his lips so soft against mine. He tastes salty but sweet at the same time and his hair is so soft as I curl my hands into it. I lose track of everything in the kiss and lean into him, one of his arms around my waist, the other hand tangling in my hair. Nothing matters, only this, only right now. I don't care if the whole world is watching; this moment is just for the two of us, and it's perfect.

"We shouldn't," Joseph pulls away slightly. His lips are redder than normal and he's slightly out of breath. I'm aware of how close we are, curled into the other, and I don't want to leave this, ever. "We'll just make it harder,"

"I don't care," I whisper, and then this time he leans down to kiss me, his hand cupping my chin. My arms wrap around his neck and I shut my eyes once more, giving into my feelings. Time just seems to stand care and my mind goes blank as we kiss. Instead of sating me, every kiss makes me want more and it's such a new feeling, one that I never thought was possible. He eventually pulls back but he stays right in my arms, not going anywhere.

"I should have done that a long time ago," Joseph rests his cheek against my forehead. I'm wrapped up in his arms, my head resting on his chest, safe for the moment. I can hear his heart beating and his chest moving with every breath, and it's so wonderful. I could stay here forever.

"At least you did it now," I whisper. He nods, pressing his lips to my forehead for a sweet kiss. I close my eyes, his fingers tracing patterns on my arms. I never thought something so simple could feel so wonderful.

"I love you," Joseph whispers so quietly that only I can hear. I smile, feeling like my whole body is being filled with light, and I look up, meeting his eyes.

"I love you too," He looks as happy as I feel, a huge smile on his face, despite everything. I can tell he's about to bend down and kiss me again, when we hear a wolf-whistle nearby. Stanley stands on the beach, a huge smirk on his face, and the others are grinning. Oh great, I can already imagine the teasing. I blush at once, but I don't regret a thing.

"All right lovebirds," Maren calls, a huge smirk on her face. "Time to go!" I sigh, and sadly push away from Joseph, but that doesn't stop him taking my hand. He zips up his jumpsuit and I can feel my mood becoming serious once more. It's time to go. I grab my bow, slinging it onto my back, and walking down the rock spoke, Joseph next to me.

He doesn't let go of my hand once.

Xxx

**Adam ****– ****Day 2 (11:30 PM)**

"What are you doing now?" Alicia paces around the control room, her face lined with fear. My fingers fly over the laptop, my heart thudding in my chest. I've got to keep calm, but my hands are shaking badly. If the Gamemakers come in they won't suspect me of anything but they'll know something is up when they see Alicia. A Loric girl with a gun in top-secret Gamemaker rooms? Definitely something wrong.

"Why couldn't you just stay behind?!" I snap, ignoring Hannah's reproachful look. Even though she agrees with me, she doesn't like me shouting at her sister. "I had it all planned out. The mogs were assuming I was doing this because of the tributes' plan in the arena. I had permission to be here! Now, if they see you, everything will be over!"

"I had to make sure you weren't betraying us!" she says but I know she's lying. I can tell by the guilty look in her eyes, the same that Hannah gets when she's fibbing. And I know she'd want to be here for the same reasons Hannah would be here.

"Liar," I snarl. "You wanted to be a part of something big. Well, you got your wish. If this goes wrong, you'll be remembered as the girl who ruined the rescue plan and potentially the revolution!" Alicia winces and Hannah shoots me another warning look.

I turn back to the monitors with a harsh sigh, my fingers flying over the keyboard. I hack the camera system in the room, replacing current views with feeds from an hour ago to make it look completely normal. I admire my work for a second; according to the cameras, there are two mogs in here, not a teenage Loric girl and a traitor.

"Have you got the helicopters yet?" Alicia asks. She's dressed head-to-toe in black, a gun in her hand, looking every inch the spy. She paces the room, her eyes taking in every potential exit but there's only one door. I hope that no one has spotted anything unusual and I managed to hack the cameras in time. If not, we're dead.

"I was just hacking the camera system so that no one would see us enter," I reply. "There, we should be all right. Now I better do what I was supposed to do," I shoot her a pointed look and she glares back, but I can see the guilt in her eyes.

I turn to the next monitor, typing commands to release two helicopters from our nearby hovercraft centre. It doesn't take long, it's a piece of cake for me, but it does take longer to disable the wireless command system that allows Gamemakers to control the hovercraft. It might look suspicious to the mogs flying it but they won't ask questions; they'll assume there might be a network error and it's safer to have hands-on flying. That's happened before. I also disable the tracking system so that the mogs won't be able to find the crafts once they're in Loric hands. That doesn't take long and fortunately, the pilots won't be able to see _that_ happening.

"There," Ten minutes later, I lean back in my chair. "It's done. The first craft should be here within five minutes, the other one a few minutes after that. The others better be ready to take down some pilots," Alicia nods, grabbing her communicator and relaying the information to Henri. I hear static voices and Alicia shoots me a thumbs up, relief on her face. It's probably the only sign of approval I'll ever get from her.

"They're ready. Is there a way to log out the system so mogs can't interfere with the crafts if they come in here and see what's happened?" Alicia asks. Her hatred of me has been shoved to the side and right now, we're two allies on a time limit. And my anger over her interference has disappeared now that our part of the plan is over.

"I can change the password," I suggest, turning around on the chair. It barely takes me seconds; it's easy work for me. I've been raised to work computers without thinking and this is as easy as breathing. "There, they should find it very hard to get back in. And when they do, we'll be long gone," I log out of the system, breathing a sigh of relief for the first time. We've done it.

"We should be ok," I reassure her. Alicia nods, reaching for her communicator after there's a noise from it. A grin appears on her face and she puts it down, gesturing towards the door.

"The first one came quicker than expected. They killed the pilot and are on their way to the arena. Let's hope they get there in time," she says, an excited smile on her face. She reminds me so much of Hannah it's uncanny. I feel sick, shaky, but excited too. I'm making a difference, saving Loric lives, and it's thrilling in a terrifying way.

"We better go and get the second one. It'll be coming any minute now," I say, heading for the door.

Alicia nods, swapping her communicator for her gun. "They said that you did a great job. They said everything was pulled off perfectly…Thank you," she pauses, almost looking vulnerable. "I know you did that for Hannah, and-"

The door flies inwards and hits us, sending us flying. I hit the back wall and I hear Alicia's cry of pain, as she crumples to the ground, the door on top of her. I hit the floor, my body aching with pain as I struggle to breathe through the acrid smoke pouring through the door. I see a pair of legs walking towards me, but I crawl to Alicia, pulling her away from under the door. She has blood down the side of her face, but she's half-awake.

_Adam, get up! Get up! _Hannah screams, paying attention to the threat. I turn just in time to see Ivan there and then a hand locks around my throat, lifting me from the ground. I gasp for breath as my brother holds me above the ground, a glare on his face. He looks furious, but there's more than that: betrayal.

"Nice try, Adam," he whispers, hate in his eyes. "Trying to get away? Trying to hide from your crimes?" I kick out at him frantically, desperately breathing for air. Ivan slackens his hold, still painfully tight, but enough so that I can breathe. He wants me to suffer.

"It's too late," I hiss. "The crafts have gone and you'll never stop them! I disabled the systems! It's too late!" I don't know if I'm trying to persuade him more than me. I hear a moan and watch as Alicia tries to sit up, rubbing her head. I can't see any other mogs behind Ivan, which makes me think he's working alone. But why?

"Yes, it's too late for that," Ivan snarls, hatred and fury in his voice. "But it's never too late to kill you," I try to fight him off but he's just too strong and he delivers a powerful punch to my stomach. I gasp desperately for air as Hannah hovers nearby, furious, scared, helpless. Alicia tries to reach for her communicator, but Ivan kicks it out of reach. It flies against the wall, smashing into pieces when it hits it.

"How…did…you…know?" I rasp. Ivan smirks, looking proud of himself, and hatred races through me. I could kill him for this, but more importantly than that, I have to get Alicia out of here. I can't let Ivan kill her too.

"I knew you were up to something," he tosses me into the corner, and I hit the wall with a cry of pain. Agony races through my back and I scramble back, gasping for breath. Panic races through me as I look at Alicia, still groggy. I don't know how to get out of this; Ivan has always been the stronger one.

"I bugged your jacket when I came to talk the other day. I got everything. The plans to get your friends out of the arena," Panic races through me and I lock horrified eyes with Alicia. No, _no. _They can't know, they can't know about the Resistance. The thought is so horrifying that I lie there, paralyzed, unable to breathe.

"What else do you know?" I gasp. Ivan frowns, as if there's something else to know, and I sigh a little in relief. I know at once that all he knows about is the plan tonight. He might know about the Resistance being a group but he probably knew about that anyway. I thank Henri in my head for not telling me much at all, otherwise this would all be over.

Yet…how did Henri and Katarina get away in the first craft?

"Why did you let them go?" I gasp, rubbing my face. Blood comes away on my hands and I'm aware of a sharp pain in my head. Alicia tries to get to her feet behind Ivan, but he spins around, backhanding her fiercely. She hits the floor and doesn't move. Hannah and I are both filled with a hatred and anger that's so strong I'm surprised I don't break with the force.

"Because I was going to stop the Loric scum when they thought they were safe," Ivan spits on Alicia, a look of disgust on his face. I feel a piece of broken door by my hand, its side sharp and jagged. If I stab Ivan with this, it could kill him, or maim him at the very least.

"I was going to tell Father at first," Ivan boasts, pacing in front of me. Nearby, Alicia's eyes open but she doesn't move. Her hand starts to move very slowly, towards her belt with her knife. "But then I thought of a better plan. I'm going to call officials about the crafts once I have you under control and then I'm going to drag you to Father. To show him I can do it all by myself," Ivan says, a smirk on his face. I can sense his pride, his arrogance that he could take this all down by himself.

"Don't you get it?" I yell in anger, in despair. "You're better than me in his eyes! You always have been! Why do you have to keep proving it?" Ivan's face fills with anger and then he lunges forward, grabbing me by my shirt. He holds me in front of him, my feet off the ground. I close my eyes, waiting for the blow, but it doesn't come.

"I'm doing my duty to my people," he hisses in my face, spit showering my skin. "It's about time you did the same," he drops me, kicking me for good measure, before turning away.

My mind races; Ivan's the only one that knows for now. He hasn't called anyone about the crafts. His arrogance could be his downfall and my advantage. If we silence him, then he won't tell anyone and our plan can continue. No one will know any better.

But can I kill him? Can I really kill my brother, despite everything? My body tells me yes, I'm in so much pain from his attack, but mentally I can't. He's my brother and I know I can't. He's a monster but he's still family.

"And now, who's this?" Ivan bends down to see Alicia. Panic races through Hannah and she tries to get me up, but my body hurts so much. "I'm going to carve your pretty little face up until- Arggh!"

Alicia rears up and slashes Ivan's face with her knife. He tries to tackle her at once, but she jumps out of the way, light on her feet. Her face is filled with concentration as Ivan looms above her and I know I have to help. My brother will crush her. I search about for something when I spot the chair that I was sat on. I get to my feet shakily, noticing Ivan lunge for Alicia. She jumps out of the way, but I can see the fear in her eyes. She's never fought, not against someone like this anyway.

_Adam, please, save her!_ Hannah pleads with me. I grab the chair, lifting with all my strength, but it's so hard. Then it's like Hannah suddenly lends me her strength because I can suddenly lift the thing above my head. I stumble over to Ivan, who turns at the last minute to see a chair hit him.

He crumples to the ground, unconscious but not dead. Alicia's breathing hard, blood on her face, and looking as bad as I feel. We stare at each other for a long moment and then she lowers her knife, smiling shakily. It seems neither of us can kill him. Maybe if he stays out long out then we'll be gone before he can interfere. We still might be able to pull off the plan.

"Thanks, again," she whispers. I shake my head because she saved me as much as I saved her. I hear a groan from Ivan and fresh panic races through me.

"Come on, we have to go," I tell her. Alicia doesn't hesitate and we bolt out of the door, running for our lives.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter some ****_big_**** stuff is going to happen! And finally, there was Navrina! **

**Please review! :D**


	36. Chapter 35 - The Games are over

**Hi guys!**

**First of all a huge thank you to everyone who's reviewed! I love reading them all and it's so nice to know that you're all enjoying this story! So a huge thank you to everyone! **

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Navrina will be ok :D**

\- **Jix will be happening :D**

**There were other questions but the answers are coming up very shortly so I thought I'd wait a bit longer.**

**So a huge thank you to everyone and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 35 – The Games are over

**Adam (11.45pm)**

"Which way do we go now?" Alicia cries, as we race down the endless corridors. I try desperately to remember where we are, but it all looks the same. We've run down this place three times already. I know we have to be at the helicopter soon otherwise it'll go without us, but I have no idea where it is from here. The growing threat of Ivan following us terrifies me even more.

"This way!" I finally recognise the corridor that leads to the tributes tower, where the helicopter will be waiting for us above. "Down here!" Alicia follows me at once, her face red with exertion, and her eyes wide with panic.

The Training Centre has been eerily empty of mogs and I can't help but think that an army is coming for us. Maybe that's my paranoia speaking. Most of them are either at home, or watching the Games on TV. Unless Ivan's called for back-up if he's awake…

"We should have killed him! Why didn't we kill him?" she yells as we race up the stairs. I don't dare try the elevator in case Ivan does something that would make it come to the ground floor.

"Because we were in panic and didn't think!" I yell.

I'm getting out of breath but alarm is making me run faster than I've ever run before. Adrenalin is helping to hide the pain for now but I know it's going to affect me sooner or later. Alicia is in excellent shape and manages to easily bound ahead of me, the gun in her hand. Hannah keeps me going with encouragements, her own face lined with fear, as we race up the stairs. They stretch up, so many floors to go, but it's like panic makes us run so much faster. I hear a banging door behind me and I know someone is after us. Another burst of terror helps speed me up and I take the steps three at a time, running almost as fast as Alicia.

"Almost there!" Alicia shouts after a few minutes of frantic running, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I watch as she bursts through the door to the roof, a smile on her face. "It's still here!" she gestures to someone on the roof and I'm just on the last set of stairs, when something grabs me.

Ivan throws me down below onto the next level, looming over me. I cry out in pain as I hit the floor, terror pounding through me when I see the look in his eyes. He's going to kill me, he's actually going to kill me. He's hated me ever since I shamed him in the Games and now I've betrayed him, I've become even worse than a Loric in his eyes. There's no other possible end but death for me to him. He races down for me and I jump up to fight, but I can't block the right hook. It smashes into me and I hit the floor with a loud thud, crying out in pain. I think my jaw is broken.

_Fight, Adam, fight! _Hannah begs me, kneeling next to me with tears streaming down her cheeks. _Please, don't give up now! _I want to get up and fight for her, but my body is in so much pain and how can I beat Ivan? He's indestructible.

"Leave him alone!" I turn at the shout to see Alicia jumping at my brother, her courage shocking Hannah and I. She must have heard the commotion and come back to save me, even though she could be in the craft by now. She screams and scratches at him, reminding me of an ally cat as she tears at him. Ivan yells in pain, trying to get her off him but it looks hard. He finally manages to grab her and tosses her off him, but he's breathing heavily. I notice that Alicia scratched so deeply that he's bleeding. That must hurt.

"Don't hurt her," I try to get up as Ivan advances for Alicia, towering over her. She tries to put an arm out to defend herself but he hefts her up as easily as if she weighs nothing. I find myself getting to my feet, as if controlled by something else, and then Ivan throws her. She tumbles through the air, heading for the gap between the rails that leads to the long drop to the bottom floor. She'll die if she hit the floor. I can't let that happen.

I don't know how I do it. I'm moving faster than I've ever moved before and I grab her arm, pulling her away from the deadly hole to the ground floor. I pull her back to safety, and we tumble to the ground, both of us breathing heavily. She stares at me in shock, her eyes wide and filled with fear. I push her behind me, both of us crawling away from Ivan.

"I recognise you," Ivan peers at Alicia, breathing heavily, his fists clenched. "You remind me of someone…" his eyes widen and he grins, the happiest grin I've ever seen on him. He knows. Of course he knows. How could he not? They look so similar.

"You killed my sister," Alicia snarls. Ivan begins to laugh, a huge grin on his face. I can see a knife in his hands, bigger than Alicia's but that doesn't seem to scare her. All she cares about is avenging her sister's death.

_Adam, stop her! She'll die!_ Hannah pleads. I grab Alicia's arm, trying to push her behind me, but the world is spinning. I can barely stand, let alone fight.

"I killed your sister," Ivan savours his words. His eyes meet mine, cruel and triumphant. "How about that? I get to kill you too, adding to my collection," He laughs cruelly and my hands curl into fists. "How would you like that Adam? Killing both sisters?"

I jump to my feet, yelling in rage, and he socks me in the face. My head hits the wall with a smack. The world around me suddenly changes and I'm no longer in the stairwell.

I'm sitting on a beach, the waves lapping onto the shore. I can just see water and sand, no buildings, no one else, just me and the water. The sun glints on the water and all around me is perfect, clean sand. It's like the beach spreads on and on and on. I feel peaceful, happy, as if I wasn't in a fight a moment ago. My body doesn't hurt and I'm dressed in white clothes, not my black outfit that I wore for the mission. Am I dead? I don't feel dead, but that's the only explanation.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I turn and gasp when I see Hannah next to me. Hannah's ghostlike version of her is nothing compared to the human, breathing version next to me. Her hair shines in the sunlight, her eyes twinkling happily. She's vibrant and beautiful and _alive. _

"Where are we?" I ask softly. Hannah gently strokes the sand, her face peaceful for the first time. Seeing her body with such clarity and precision causes a lump to rise in my throat.

"I used to come here all the time with my parents before Lorien was occupied," Hannah tells me. "It was my secret place when Lorien fell, my place for safety, for peace. I come here when I disappear," she smiles happily, tipping her head back to enjoy the sunshine. My breath is taken away as I stare at her beauty, her happiness. She belongs here, free by the beach, not stuck in my mind.

"We can't stay for long," Hannah breathes in the salty sea air, looking back at me. "You have to save Alicia from Ivan," I nod, a lump in my throat even though I don't know why.

"I can't kill him," I whisper. "I just can't," Hannah looks at me kindly, her eyes knowledgeable. As usual, she knows me perfectly inside out. She always has.

"Yes you can," she says softly. "You can now. You always needed this," She looks away from me towards the lapping water. "You were always hesitant to completely convert because you still had ties to them. You know this," she says stopping my protests. I nod meekly, looking down at the sand.

"You needed to be reminded of your race and how bad they were. Ivan will kill Alicia without even hesitating. You know this…that's changed you, converted you. This had to happen," Hannah says, wriggling her toes in the sand. I nod again, sheepishly, but Hannah reaches out and takes my hand, and I know she forgives me for everything. There's sadness in her eyes and I know what's coming. I always knew this day was coming.

"You're going forever, aren't you?" I whisper, my voice raw. Hannah blinks back tears, before lowering her face.

"I couldn't leave beforehand…I could only ever leave when things were right and I wasn't needed," Hannah looks back up, a conflicting mixture of grief and happiness on her face. "That day has come. You don't need me anymore," I shake my head at once, panic flooding through me.

"Yes, yes I do, Hannah!" I beg. "You can't leave me! I need you here with me! I can't do anything without you!" I beg her, my voice breaking. Hannah shakes her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. I gently reach out, wiping them away, but my hand is shaking so much. I barely even notice that touching her is like touching someone who's alive, and not dead. She feels warm, solid…alive.

"Alicia and you have shown that you can work together, that you can be a team," she whispers. I try to interrupt her but she places her fingers on my lips, shaking her head. "No, let me finish, Adam. You're going to work with the Resistance and fight for a better Lorien. You can do this by yourself, I _know_ you can" she says earnestly. I see her faith in me, shining from her eyes, but I just can't accept it.

"No, please," I whisper, tears in my eyes. "Please…I need you with me. If you leave me, I have nothing," Hannah smiles softly, sadness all over her face.

"You're one in a million Adam. You can do this and you know you can. My mother always used to say this…" her mouth works. "Remember, you're smarter than you think you are, stronger than you seem and braver than you believe,"

I can see things are beginning to fade. The sea begins to lose its bright blue colour and the sand starts to disappear. But worst of all, Hannah starts to dull, as if she's losing all her colour. Panic races through me and I reach out for her, entwining my hands in hers. It feels so wonderful yet I'm so scared.

"Move on from me, Adam. Move on and find happiness with some other girl who deserves you," she whispers. "I know that you'll always look out for Alicia…she's a great girl," She whispers softly. I nod, tears streaming down my cheeks too.

"She's related to you," I say, my voice raw. "How could she not be?" Hannah's lip trembles but then she seems to pull herself together. Her hair is losing its brilliant shine but her eyes are as bright as ever.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way," I whisper, feeling broken. "I love you," Hannah shuts her eyes, a sort of happiness appearing on her face. As if she's come to peace at last. She opens her eyes and they're filled with fondness, tenderness. It's like all barriers break loose between our minds and I can finally feel how much she cares for me, how highly she thinks of me.

"I think...I think if I had been alive all those months, I think you would have," Hannah says softly. "And I _know_ that I would have loved you," The moment is starting to end; I can see the edges of the beach disappearing, Hannah becoming more transparent. She's leaving now for good. I can't let her go but I have to.

"Can I kiss you?" I ask, aware that I only have moments. Hannah smiles at me, and it's not a sad smile, filled with grief. It's a happy smile, one that I used to love seeing on her. One that lights her face up and makes her eyes shine. The smile that I used to live for.

"I really wish you would, mog boy," she laughs. I lean forwards, pressing my lips against hers. The world is spinning and I try to wrap my arms around her but she's dissipating, her warm lips against mine disappearing. I try to clutch for her, but she's going, her body passing through my fingers like fog.

I open my eyes and I'm back in the stairwell but everything is different. Hannah's gone, for good this time. My mind feels so empty and cold. I want her back; want her sharing my mind. Want her to say something sarcastic but kind at the same time. I think of her smile, that gorgeous smile, and I want to curl up in a ball and cry. But then I hear shouting and I see Alicia fighting with Ivan, the latter winning. He stands over her with his knife, blood dripping down his face. My grief can wait for later.

"I'll kill you, like I killed that bitch of your sister!" he snarls, kicking her and Alicia yelps with pain. I have to save Alicia for Hannah; it's what she would want. Strength and anger races through me and then I stand, power flooding through me. Without being aware of what I'm doing, I raise my hands and then aim them towards Ivan. It's like instinct.

Something strong and powerful and hot rushes through me and then Ivan is lifted off the floor, flying through the air and smacking against the wall. He slides down, looking stunned and slightly broken. I stagger back, suddenly tired, and I realise with wonder that Hannah gave me one last gift. Not only a kiss, not just showing me how much she cared, but her legacies. She gave them to me to save Alicia because she knew that I could never do it by myself. She was giving everything to us to save us.

_Thank you Hannah,_ I whisper in my mind. _You're one in a million too._

"Come on," I race forwards, grabbing a shell-shocked Alicia. She's gasping as I tug her to her feet but I can see that she's capable enough to run.

"What the hell just happened?" she gasps as we stagger upstairs. I can hear shouting from below us and I know that mogs are coming. Ivan must have called someone when we first ran away. We break out onto the roof and I can see the helicopter above us, a sling lowered for us to grab. One of the mentors is leaning out, his relief obvious when he sees Alicia and I. I wonder if they were going to wait for us much longer.

"Get on the sling! One at a time!" he yells. I push Alicia towards it, relieved at being alive. Alicia grabs it, her face filled with shock, but she's still able to function. The sling starts to go up at once, taking her to safety. I can relax at last, knowing that I've done what Hannah wanted. I've got her sister to safety. Now I just have to wait my turn.

"Adam," I turn to see Ivan stagger through the doorway. He never gives up, not even when he's injured more than he's ever been in his life. His face is filled with hatred and anger, a knife in his hand. Fear races through me and I look up, desperate to see the ladder. Alicia is still being carried up but she's shouting frantically, noticing the threat as well.

"You can't do it," Ivan laughs. I can hear more shouting and the tramping of footsteps and my heart speeds up frantically. "You can't kill me! You're weak,"

I look at him; take in his pathetic figure. He's wrong. I _can_ kill him. He killed Hannah. He tried to kill Alicia. And he'll kill me. He'll kill me and everyone on that helicopter and every Loric on Lorien. He'll kill for hatred, for vengeance and for fun. If Hannah were here right now, he'd kill her again to see my pain. He'd do it for fun, like he killed her for a promotion.

"You're wrong, Ivan," I shake my head. I can feel power flooding through me again, more powerful than anything I've ever felt before. What I'm going to do will change everything. "I _can_ kill you. For her, I would do anything,"

I promised to kill Ivan and I will. But not for vengeance. No, I'll avenge Hannah's death by fighting for Lorien, for a better future. But I'll kill Ivan to get Alicia to safety. Because that is what Hannah would want above all else. She would want her sister and I safe from Ivan and the mogs. She would want me to kill to save her sister, not to kill out of vengeance.

"You'll kill me? You're lying! You're pathetic" Ivan grins. He doesn't believe me. I can see the sling finally lowering for me and I prepare the power, the energy trying to break free.

"It was always her, Ivan. Always Hannah," I say and then I release the energy. Hannah's final gift leaps free.

The seismic waves rush out of me at once and I can feel the huge energy rippling through the building, ripping apart walls and floors and ceilings. It shatters windows and sets the foundations shuddering. It's like a huge earthquake tearing apart the Training Centre and nothing can stop it. I can almost hear every computer exploding, every door flying from its hinges and every glass tube shattering. Ivan stares at me, stunned, and then the roof collapses.

I leap for the sling, my fingers just managing to close down on the fabric, and then it begins to rise in the air as I pull myself onto it. Below me, the Training Centre begins to fall apart, a huge rumbling noise emitting from the falling chaos. Dust rises in the air as the concrete building breaks apart, and I can hear screams of soldiers as they're crushed beneath the falling concrete. There's a huge roaring noise as the ruin hits the ground and then a plume of dust rises in the air. Alarms start to blare from nearby buildings and I can hear very distant shouting. Somewhere, under all that rock and rubble is the ash that was once the body of my brother. There's no way he'll ever have survived that.

"Adam," Alicia pulls me into the helicopter, which sets off at once. There are other Loric running around, shouting commands, but I barely notice them. I take in the dust and ruined building below me, hoping that all Loric were out of it. I feel exhausted, drained and I know I'm spent. "What the hell was that?"

"That was your sister getting her revenge," I whisper and then I collapse.

Xxx

**Maren – Day 2 (11:00)**

"There," Melvin steps back the tree. "I have enough here for me. You take the coil and unwind the wire to the beach. Bury it there, make sure to wash water over it and then head back as soon as you can,"

I nod, feeling keyed up and nervous. I can hear the crickets in the trees and the occasional hoot of a night owl, but apart from that the jungle is still. My mind conjures images of the careers hidden nearby, plotting to kill us. I think of the Gamemakers, who could be planning on ruining our plan for fun. I try to push away my fears and focus on the task at hand; no one needs me to crack up, not when we're so close to the plan being over.

"Is that enough wire for you?" Stanley asks, strapping an axe to his back. Marina looks as nervous as I feel, her bow and arrow safely in her hands, as she waits for us to set off. I can tell she wants to stay here with Joseph, especially after earlier, but she's too selfless to say so.

"Yes, I need to make adjustments to it though. Wrap it around in a way that's most effective," Melvin admires his handiwork, his mind clearly very far away from the current moment. "I can do that whilst you're unraveling the wire though," he says. I nod, grabbing the heavy metal coil.

"Right, are you two sticking together or splitting up?" I ask Marina and Stanley. Nearby, John and Joseph hover around, looking helpless. I bet they want to do more than hang around by a tree but they have to stay here and defend Melvin if anyone attacks. It's an important task, but I know what I would rather do.

"Sticking together," Stanley replies. "It's too dangerous to split up," I notice the way his eyes flicker towards Joseph and I know it's more than the thought of danger. If Marina is killed, then we'll have two mourning idiots to deal with and none of us can handle that.

"Let's go, quickly," Sophia says impatiently, her face pinched with nerves. I nod, strapping my sword to my belt and then heading away from the clearing. I notice Marina and Joseph kiss very briefly, whisper something to each other, before she turns and follows us. I look away, feeling like I'm disturbing something. We walk through the trees, the others soon disappearing from sight and I hope this isn't the last time I see them.

"We'll see you later," Stanley nods to me and then he and Marina melt away into the trees. It's dark in the forest, and I can barely see. I just hope that we manage to get this done without dying.

"Looks like it's just us two," Sophia sighs. I nod and we set to work.

It's harder work than I imagined, unraveling the wire. It catches on rocks and branches and roots and we have to tug it free, sometimes one of us heading back to free it. The coil is heavy and my arms ache but we still have to move quickly, as time is slipping by us. Before we realize it, it's been a good half an hour at least since we set off and we're just over half way there.

"Come on, let's swap again," Sophia says and I pass her the coil. She grimaces but doesn't complain as we continue to lightly jog through the forest. I'm on edge; every branch breaking, every noise from an animal sets my nerves on edge. My hands are sweating on my sword and I can feel my heart thundering. I can't help but think of the careers that could be behind us.

"Are the other two still behind us?" I whisper. Sophia frowns for a moment, continuing to unravel the coil as we jump over a pile of boulders.

"Yep, no problems. They want to get back to the others though," she whispers in return. I nod, spinning round when I hear a nearby snapping noise. It must be Marina or Stanley as they follow us.

"We all do," I reply. Sophia nods and we continue to work in silence. I hear another snapping noise and I can't help but feel like something is wrong. I take in Sophia, her fierce frown, and I can see fear in her eyes. She wanted to be with the others, she didn't want any of us to split up, but why?

"Come on, let's hurry up. I want to put as much distance between us and that beach as possible," she frowns. I nod, taking the coil from her again. We keep taking it in turns, as it's easier that way. Then no one gets overly tired. I can feel time ticking but then I see a glimmer of hope at last; the beach is ahead of us. I see the water through a gap in the trees and a smile makes its way onto my face.

"There," I show her and she takes the wire again, as I jump up onto a nearby rock to see clearly. "We're almost there," Sophia struggles with the wire and I jump back down to help her.

"It's caught on something," Sophia sighs in exasperation, her face red from the heat. I'm the same but part of it is fear as well as heat. Sophia tugs on the wire and it resists, the metal stretching. "Can you go up and free it?" She tugs again but nothing happens. Dread starts to fill my stomach and I can't help but think something is very wrong. Sophia tugs one more time and then there's a springing noise as the wire springs free. The coil curls towards us, and I notice the clean cut.

"It's been cut!" I realize at once, and that's when the shape of a career leaps out from a tree ahead of us, a few couple of hundred metres away. I hear a scream, a girl's scream nearby, and I know Marina and Stanley have been ambushed. My heart speeds up and I reach for my sword when something whacks my head.

I cry out in pain as I crumple to the ground, the coil of wire landing next to me. Black spots dance in front of my eyes and I feel something sticky running down my face. My head feels like it could explode from pain and I whimper, trying to reach for my sword to defend myself. Sophia hit me. She _hit_ me. _She's trying to kill you, _my mind whispers but my head is in too much pain to let me think. I hear nearby shouting, is that Marina and Stanley? Have they come to help me?

"Marina! Stanley!" I scream when Sophia kneels down, pressing her hand to my mouth. I struggle, trying to fight her off, but she really knocked me one on the head and my movements are sluggish.

"Shut up, idiot," Sophia hisses, pinning my arm to the ground. She turns it over, pressing down on my chest with her knees and I struggle for breath. Then her knife slices into my arm and I scream despite myself, the pain excruciating. I feel her digging around for something and then she bends over me, her lips to my ear.

"Stay down, goddamit!" she hisses. Then she leaps up and I see her grab a knife, throwing it expertly. I hear a shout from the career, a yell of anger. Sophia runs off and I hear more shouting as he follows her. Maybe she's luring them away. But why would she do that? She just tried to kill me.

_Come on, move, _I plead with myself. I can't stay here, like helpless prey. Very slowly, I move my head, agony racing through my scalp. My arm feels like it's on fire but I can still manage to move it enough to grasp my sword. I struggle to sit up and I feel faint when I see the blood running down my arm, but I know I have to get up. Sophia tried to kill me. I have to warn the others.

I stagger to my feet, the world spinning around me. The area is empty; Sophia must have lured the careers off but Stanley and Marina will have chased her. I wonder if they're still trying to help her, even though she betrayed us. I have to warn them…but they could be anywhere. I stagger into a rock and I lean into it, blood dripping onto the rock. I feel sick, maybe from the pain in my head. I have to get to John…he can heal me and then I can kill Sophia and those careers once and for all. Screw the plan, that's over anyway.

I walk forwards a few more metres when I see a bow and arrow on the floor. Marina. That was hers. She has no weapon now. I look around, expecting her to return, but she's not here. But nether is Stanley; he must be protecting her. He wouldn't let her die, not after all the deaths so far. I know that he would never turn on her, no matter what. I reach down, slinging the bow and arrow onto my back just in case. I can give it to her later on.

It seems to take me hours to get back to the tree. Every step sends a flash of agony through my skull and the world becomes more and more tilted. My arm is aching with pain and I know that if someone were to attack me now, I'd be dead in seconds. I hear more shouting but it's far, far away and then a cannon. My heart stops and I stagger to a stop, the world spinning. Who died? Was it one of my friends? I can only hope that Marina and Stanley were able to protect themselves.

"Come on, come on," I hiss, staggering for the tree. It's not far now, not far at all. My head aches but I grit my teeth and continue to move; I have to warn the others. Blood keeps getting into my eye and I wipe it away in agitation, my weakness scaring me.

"John! Joseph!" I yell but there's no response. But I'm so close to the tree. They must be here, they must be. I stumble along until I break into the clearing where the tree is. I see John and Joseph on the ground, both lying on the ground, both looking dead. Fear races through me, and my knees buckle, the thought of them both dead making me feel sick. I can taste bile at the back of my throat.

_No, no, no. _I crawl over to them, my hands shaking badly as I check their pulse. Relief races through me as I detect a pulse, weak but existent. I watch my blood smear over their skin as I feel their pulse and I want to lie down with them, hiding from my pain. But then I hear a zapping noise and a scream nearby. I grab Marina's bow and arrow, shakily arming the bow in case of a new threat. But what I see is a lot different from what I expected.

I see Melvin thrown back from the force field, his body smoking. He twitches a few times, a moan of pain escaping his lips, and I can tell he's alive. What was he doing? I crawl over, taking in the spear he had in his hand, the wire wrapped around it. What was he trying to do? That wasn't part of the plan.

What is going on? If only I had a clear head to think things through properly. If only I had time.

I hear a rumble of thunder and I look up, my heart pounding in fear when I take in the storm brewing above us. No, no, it's too soon, far too soon. The lightning bold can't be coming now, can it? Clouds start to swirl together, lightning flashing in the depths of the blue and black clouds. I hear another rumble, louder and deeper, and nearby, John stirs. I look down at the spear again; what was Melvin trying to do with the spear? He was aiming for the arena…as if to break the force field.

Only…the spear wasn't strong enough and he was the one to be harmed. Unless…I look up at the quickly forming clouds right above the tree, the wind picking up. The lightning is coming. The lightning will hit the tree and go into the wire, just like Melvin knew it would. If the spear had conducted the electricity from the lightning strike to the force field then it would have broken it. Is that what Melvin wanted? To break the force field?

"Maren, get away from the tree," I turn to see John awake, groggy, but conscious enough to sense the danger. He tries to get up but whatever Melvin did to him, he can't seem to get to his feet. I look up at another rumble, the clouds thickening dangerously. I can sense the lightning building up and I know I don't have long.

I grab the spear, desperately unwrapping the wire that Melvin wrapped around it and instead twisting it around and around an arrow. My hands are shaking from pain and fear, and I can feel the ground shaking with thunder, making me even unsteadier. The clouds are in one huge storm now and I can see the eye of the storm, directly above the tree. I can sense the flash of lightning coming, the energy building up, and I nock the arrow to the bow.

"Maren, get away from that tree!" John screams. I aim the bow for the sky, my head spinning. My heart is thundering but I have to concentrate. I steady my hands, knowing I have one shot at this. I have to make it count. I shut my eyes, taking a long breath, and blocking everything out. There's a rumble of thunder and the crackling sound of lighting. It's going to hit the tree. I have to do it now.

I loose the arrow and then the lightning hits the tree with a huge zapping noise. I feel a massive shock race through me, my hair standing on end, and then I fly through the air as the strike hits the tree. I scream as I'm thrown off my feet, hitting John, and landing nearby with a large thud, my head hitting a rock. My body is numb, but my head aches with agony. I peer up through the tangled mess of my hair to see my arrow racing for the sky, the wire attached to it lit up with the lightning bolt. With the backdrop of the purple clouds, it almost looks beautiful.

Then the arrow hits the sky with a huge explosion and I black out.

Xxx

All across Lorien, screens turn blank.

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**Hope you all enjoyed! **

**Please review!**


	37. Chapter 36 - Welcoming Oblivion

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love them all and the support that you guys give me is huge! I can't thank you enough for everything!**

**Also, I know it's an earlier update since they're always on Saturdays, but I have a ****_very _****busy day with Uni tomorrow so I thought I'd update today!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- Adam/Alicia? I can't say much but there is a possibility that it could happen. But it if were to happen, it would be very different from the others since they've had a very unusual start at friendship.

\- **TheAdventuresofaNerd** – I'm glad you enjoyed the take on vengeance! I thought Adam would see it differently from the others because he's had it very different. I'm glad that you enjoyed it

\- Adam got telekinesis and seismic ability since those were the two legacies Hannah had before she died. She also had the one she used to convert Adam with the memories but that had burned out after she disappeared as it was the only legacy keeping her with Adam (hope that makes sense! :D)

**So thank you all so much and please read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 36 – Welcoming Oblivion

**Maren**

The first thing that I register when I wake up is the beeping noise nearby and the smell of something clinical, something you'd have in a hospital. There's a light rocking motion, like I'm travelling on a flying ship. I keep my eyes shut, my body ready for an attack, trying to listen for people nearby. There's nothing to tip me off that I'm being watched but I can't be certain. I try to remember what happened but all I can think of was excruciating pain in my head and my arm. An arrow and lightning. And then darkness.

Where am I? Am I back in the Capital? I know I'll be severely punished for breaking the arena; that's high treason. Will I be executed? Like hell, I will. I won't let them kill me, not when my sisters could be watching. I won't go down without a fight. I open my eyes, looking up at a bright white ceiling, and I recognise the airships that they use to transport us to the Games. The metal ceiling, the thick seats, the iron floor…I turn my head, noticing that I'm lying on the floor on a thin mat which is a makeshift hospital bed. I'm not at the Capital yet.

I sit up shakily, my hair sticking to my face with blood. I notice Melvin lying on a nearby mat, a mask on his face to help him breath. He looks awful and I wonder if he'll make it. Not that it matters. We'll all going to die where we're going. I move to see if there are others around but a flash of pain races through my skull. My head is pounding, but nowhere near as bad as it was before. I reach up to feel a soft bandage wrapped around my head, and there's one on my arm where Sophia attacked me.

Sophia! What happened to her? To the others?

I hear a noise, like talking or shouting, and I notice a door at the end of the room. Fear and adrenalin pounds through me again and I rip out the needles from my arms, my instinct to fight racing through me. I won't be taken to the Capital to be tortured or killed in a public place. I will put up a fight. I'd rather die on my own terms than theirs. I notice a nearby first aid kit, and I grab a pair of scissors used to cut bandages. It's not quite a sword but it will still hurt like hell when I stab this in someone's eye.

Holding my breath, I approach the doors. I take a few deep breaths, my head spinning slightly. Now is not the time for weakness and I steady my shaking hand, adjusting my grip on the scissors to be better to stab with. I can hear the talking more clearly and I prepare for a fight, my body tense and ready. I take a few more steps and then the door slides open, automatically. I freeze in the doorway, taking in the scene in front of me.

Katarina and Henri stand by a large table, a map in front of it. John is sat on a chair, a blanket wrapped around him, looking shell-shocked. He has a bandage around his head and arm like me, but I don't think he's hurt as badly. He looks happy to see me, although there are dark shadows under his eyes and his eyes are red-rimmed, as if he's been crying. There are other people here too, people I don't recognise, and even though Kat is here, I feel on edge, wary.

"Maren, you're awake," Katarina smiles, walking over to me. I watch her carefully, not sure why I don't trust her. She's my mentor, she's always been there for me…but then, what is this? She can't be here to capture me, can she?

"Where are we going?" I don't recognise my voice; it's cold, wary, mistrustful. Kat winces but she attempts a smile, her hand held out to me as if I'm a wild animal that's about to attack.

"It's called the Resistance," Henri says, his voice firm. "It started in your Games and has grown to be a fully-formed group. Uprisings are happening all over Lorien and nothing the mogs can do will stop it. You are the leaders of it, the representatives of Lorien. The time has come to fight back," his words should be glorious, filled with triumph but he looks exhausted.

"There was a plan," Katarina explains. "Before you were even going to go into the arena, we were planning on getting you out. We were going to take you to the Resistance, to safety," Kat says, and then someone wraps a blanket around my shoulders, removing the scissors from my hands. It's only then that I realise how badly I'm shaking.

"You're important, Maren, you and the others are so important," Kat begins but Henri shoots her a cautious look.

"Another time," he says carefully. Kat nods, and reaches out for me, her arm supportive around my shoulders. I still feel wary, as if they're hiding something from me.

"Sarah knew," John says, his voice raspy. "She and a few others knew about the plan to get us all out. That's why she jumped in front of you when the career tried to kill you. Because she knew you had to live and she didn't" John's voice breaks and Henri wraps an arm around his tribute's shoulders, gently rubbing his back. I can see the pain on both of their faces, tears streaming down John's cheeks.

"Sophia? Did she know?" I ask. That must be the reason why she attacked me. She was never going to kill me at all. Kat nods, her face wary.

"Yes, she knew. That's why she wanted you all to stick together but if she pushed it too much, it would look suspicious. She had to play along and just hope that you would all meet up for us to rescue you all," Kat explains, her face pale.

"No one was expecting the careers to attack," Henri sighs, rubbing his face in annoyance. "Sophia had to improvise. She knew you would attack them and she wanted you to return to the tree instead of getting into danger. So she hit you, but not too hard, hoping you would do exactly what you did," Henri sighs. "She cut out your tracker first; that's why she cut your arm," he explains. I look down at the clean bandage against my dirty skin, dark with mud and blood.

"She was going to take Stanley and Marina back herself once she had dealt with the careers," I realise. "She was saving me, not getting me killed," Kat nods, tears in her eyes. My knees are shaking so badly that I have to sit down on a nearby chair, and my hands are trembling. Something is wrong, something is very wrong.

"What happened?" I fix Kat with a fierce look. "Something happened, I know something did," Kat's lip trembles and she takes a deep breath, sharing a glance with Henri. He straightens up, his face turning serious, but I can see the pain in his eyes.

"Not everyone escaped from the Capital," Fear races through me and I think of Sam. No, _no, _he can't be stuck there with those monsters. They'll torture him…kill him. John sees my fear and smiles at me, but I can see he's only hanging on by a thread.

"Sam got out," he reassures me. "Ella…Ella wasn't so lucky. They had moved her to special headquarters when the Games started. It was too risky to save her," I suck in a shuddering breath. Ella's so young, so defenceless. I shake my head but I know that it's the truth.

"They don't want to hurt her though," Henri says quickly. "She and Cody were moved to special apartments within the headquarters, as if they were high-ranking members. I don't know what's going on but I think she'll be ok. Ella's a smart girl; she knows how to stay alive," Henri reassures us, but I think he's also trying to persuade himself.

"That's not all," Kat whispers, shame on her face. She kneels in front of me, taking my hands in hers. Her skin is so warm compared to mine and I realise I'm freezing, shuddering all over. Am I in shock? I feel numb all over.

"We couldn't get everyone out of the arena," Katarina says solemnly. "The mogs were warned and managed to get there just after us. We only had time to get you out before the mogs came in. We couldn't put up a fight, we had to escape before attack ships came, so we had…we had to leave some behind," My heart speeds up, fear racing through me. I look at John, wanting him to disagree, but I can see it's the truth from the look on his face.

"Who?" I ask. Henri looks down and I can see tears in John's eyes, as he wraps the blanket tighter around him. "_Who?"_

"Sophia, Stanley…Marina," he whispers. No, not them. Not Sophia who will be tortured for what she knew. Not Stanley who will be killed for starting this whole rebellion. Not Marina, who's too kind and good for any of this. I feel sick, and my stomach cramps painfully. I taste bile in the back of my throat and I'm aware of my hands gripping Kat's so tightly.

"The mission was still successful," Henri insists, his eyes sad. "We managed to get you out, as well as some others. We only left a few behind," he pauses, looking down at his map. "It was still successful,"

I feel sick, shaking all over. Marina, Stanley, Ella and Sophia…all in the Capital. And Joseph? I haven't even seen him on the ship, is he alive? Or is he dead and they had to leave him behind in the arena. Maybe they got me and John, Melvin and Sam out, as well as the mentors, but how is that successful? How is that a good thing?

"Maren," Katarina says softly, as if to ward off a blow. "There's one last thing," she whispers. I stare down at her and I can see the pain in her eyes. This is the worst thing yet. "We tried, we tried to get them out, I promise," she says softly. I look up at John, who's watching me, concern in his eyes. Dread forms in my stomach, fear racing through my veins.

"What are you talking about?" I whisper. I stand up and Kat does too, gripping my arms tightly, as if to control me. Her eyes are wide and earnest, filled with fear. She's scared of_ me_.

"We couldn't save them. They have your family," Henri says bluntly, but I can hear the sympathy. "They're in the Capital,"

No. _No_. Not Lilia, not Catia, not my mother. I remember their screams of pain in the arena, their pleas for help. That may have been a trick but soon it will be a reality. I can't help them. I let them down. I stare at Kat in horrified silence, and suddenly my fear turns to anger. She let this happen. She knew how much I loved them and she still let it happen. She let them save me before them.

"You should have saved them," I say, my voice shaking with anger. Kat shakes her head frantically and then it's like all my fear for my friends, my worry, my anger breaks free. I throw myself at her, scratching her face, screaming at her. I hit her, saying terrible cruel things. Such terrible things. Kat falls backwards but lets me, as if she feels like she deserves it.

"You let them take them! You let them down!" I scream at her. Someone grabs me around the waist and I thrash around, screaming like an animal. My sisters, my mother…I couldn't protect them. I scream and fight, trying to escape the pain and fear inside, but I can't. Something stabs into my arm and then it's like a fog washes over me, a calming cool fog.

"You let them down," I sob, my words slurring. "You betrayed me," My body slumps and then Katarina is in front of me, tears on her face. "It's all your fault," I whisper.

The world turns black.

Xxx

**Marina**

"Marina…Marina, wake up,"

My eyes open to a white ceiling, and I shut them quickly, the bright light shocking me a little. I feel exhausted, and lethargic, as if my thoughts have been slowed down, and my body feels sluggish. I don't feel alarmed at not being in the arena, even though I have no idea where I am or if I'm in trouble. I open my eyes again, this time more carefully so I can adjust to the light better. My hands move across the clean crisp sheets until they're jerked to a stop by some smooth restraints. I try to sit up but that's when I notice the strap around my waist.

"What's going on?" I begin to panic, but my body feels so slow, so calm. "What's happened to me?" I try to move my hands again but then someone gently takes my hand, making a soothing noise. My panic subsides slightly, even though I have no idea why I can't move.

"It's ok, Marina," Hector. Is that Hector? I turn to see my stylist, beaten up and bruised, but alive. Tears spring into my eyes and I sob weakly, so glad to see he's alive. It's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders that was there from the very start of the Games. "You're ok, you're in the Capital," he soothes me, but his eyes are wary.

"What happened?" I whisper. Hector presses a button and my bed slowly moves up so that I'm in a sitting position. I can see clearly the plastic cuffs tying me to the bed and the restraint around my waist to stop me moving. I look around the room; it's small with a monitor next to the bed but that's about it. There are no windows, and just one door. Someone doesn't want me leaving this room. I feel panicky, claustrophobic but at least I have Hector.

"Something happened to the arena and they had to get you all out. You were badly injured. They had to medicate you, which is why you'll feel so tired. You'll get better, you just need rest," Hector promises me. I nod, leaning back on the bed. I shut my eyes, thinking of the others. They must be here too somewhere. Joseph. Where is he? I think of our last kiss, his promise to see me soon and then I'd gone. Had he kept his promise? Will he see me soon?

The door opens and I open my eyes to see Cody saunter in. Even in my medicated form, anger rises up in me and I glare at him in disgust. What is _he_ doing here? The monster let this all happen and didn't do a damn thing. Hector must feel my anger because he gently strokes my arm but Cody doesn't even seem to care. He looks triumphant, and I feel nervous as he saunters over.

"Leave us, stylist," Cody says patronizingly to Hector. "You can see her later," I want to snap at Cody for that but I don't want him to take it out on Hector. I squeeze my friend's hand and he kisses my forehead gently, looking weary. He turns to leave the room, his shoulders slumped, and Cody grins. I feel sick when I stare at him but I can't move to escape his awful presence.

"What do you want traitor?" I hiss. Life is starting to return to my body and I don't feel so sleepy. Maybe the anger is waking me up or maybe it's the fear.

"_I'm_ the traitor?" Cody laughs in delight. "I'm not the one who's been plotting to escape an arena and join the Resistance!" he grins sadistically.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I sigh wearily. My body aches with pain and I just want to sleep, to escape from this nightmare. I wish Joseph could come in here, save me from Cody like he did last time, but he doesn't appear.

"You and your friends were planning on breaking out of the arena. It worked, I'll give you that. Although, not as well as I think you were planning," he grins. I shake my head, confusion racing through me. I have absolutely no idea what he's going on about. Can't he see that?

"Cody, I don't understand. I never planned anything," I say in exasperation. "The last thing I remember was being knocked out by something and now I'm here," Cody looks confused for a moment but then shrugs, a smirk smoothing onto his face. Maybe he genuinely thought I knew something and really was part of a rebel plan.

"Your allies did though. Sophia, Melvin, Joslyn, Sarah, Maren…they all planned to destroy the arena and join the Loric Resistance with you and the others," He says, his tone implying that I'm stupid for not getting it sooner.

I stare at Cody in shock, rethinking that last few days. The mentor's plans for us to all ally up. Sophia allying up with me. Her desire to stick together during the plan. Melvin and Joslyn allying up with us even though they would be at a disadvantage. It all makes sense now: there was a plan to break out. I don't know how they were planning on doing it but it clearly worked.

"Resistance? What resistance?" I ask softly. Cody sighs, running his hands through his hair, and I can sense his anger. Not at me, but at being kept out of the loop. At the Loric gaining an advantage over the mogs. If I weren't so scared, I would be happy.

"There's a Loric group that is trying to overthrow the mogs, you idiot," he hisses. "They've done quite a good job so far," he grimaces. "Knocking down the Training Centre, getting the tributes out of the arena…" he shakes his head, anger on his face. "They'll pay for that, just you wait and see,"

"The Training Centre?" I feel more and more confused, but hope starts to rise in me. A Resistance group? Maybe they can save the rest of us stuck in the Capital. Because it's clear to me that even though all of us were supposed to be saved from the arena, something went wrong, and not all of us were. Why else would I be here?

"It doesn't matter to you," Cody hisses.

"Please, tell me," I whisper. "I have to know," Cody stares at me for a long moment and then he just can't seem to help himself. Maybe he wants to look important by being the one to tell me this.

"As payback for me helping the mogs, one of the Loric thought it would be a good idea to turn one of the mogs into a traitor. It worked, although I have no idea how," Cody snarls. I'm shocked by the news and I can't seem to think straight.

"This mog traitor got two helicopters to save you and the others from the arena, before bombing the Training Centre," Cody scowls. "He killed a couple of hundred mogs at least," Ella. Ella was in the Training Centre. Fear races through me so fast and strong that I try to get out of bed, straining against the manacles.

"Ella was in there," I say, panic in my voice. Cody grins, a pleased grin of someone whose won.

"She's with us, she's safe. She's in our quarters now," he grins and I relax a little. "It's only an amount of time before she starts working with us," I shake my head, tears in my eyes, but Cody doesn't seem to care. He's won this. He knows it. He's got Ella under his control whilst I'm strapped in here, no chance to get free. Tears flood in my eyes and I'm furious at this sign of weakness but I can't help it. We've lost.

"Who escaped then?" my only chance at finding things out is talking to Cody; he'll be the only one who can tell me anything.

"Maren, John, Melvin and Sam, as well as their mentors," Cody frowns. "But you, Stanley, Sophia and their families are all here," Cody turns to go but panic races through me. He didn't mention Joseph.

"And Joseph?" I plead. "Where's Joseph?" Cody pauses by the door handle, a grin on his face. Dread is like a cold stone in my stomach as I stare at Cody, knowing the answer but dreading to hear it.

"He was hurt badly by parts of the falling arena, practically crushed, but we still took him with us. Really, there was nothing we could do for him, but the doctors tried," Cody's eyes watch me carefully. "He died this morning,"

No. _No._ Pain lances through my chest, so agonizing and stunning that tears spring to my eyes immediately, my breathing turning to frantic gasps. No, this can't be true. I shake my head, feeling cold all over. Cody rambles on about Joseph's injuries but I don't listen to him, trying to block out the pain. Joseph can't be dead. He promised he'd see me soon. He said he loved me. He was so alive yesterday, so real. He can't leave me, not now, not when I need him most.

Tears flood down my cheeks and there's an icy feeling my chest, so strong that it takes my breath away. It's the same feeling that I've always felt but this time it's so strong it's numbing me. Numbing the pain. This time I don't try to control it because I'm too busy trying to cope with the pain. No, Joseph can't be gone, he just can't be. I start to cry, my tears running down my cheeks and into the pillow.

"You're lying," I whisper, my voice raw. "You're _lying_," But I know Cody isn't. Why would Cody lie about this?

"Want to see his body? It's not a pretty sight," Cody laughs at his own joke and then anger races through me, replacing my grief for the moment. The mogs did this. _Cody_ did this.

They must pay.

Things happen so quickly. I make a funny strangled scream of anger and pain, of grief and loneliness. The ice feeling suddenly becomes so intense, stronger than I've ever felt it before, and I don't try to control it or hold back. The icy feeling intensifies so much that it hurts and then it suddenly races to my hands. I can't control it and I don't want to. The icy feeling races out from my hands and then there's ice on the floor, racing for Cody. I'm doing this; I have no idea how, but I'm doing this. He screams and turns to run, but my ice is too fast, too strong. It catches up to him, fastening him to the floor, and that's when the first icicle spears his foot.

Cody's scream is louder than mine and I hear shouting from outside the door when _they_ hear it. Cody wrenches his foot away, howling with pain but I can't feel it in me to be sorry. Joseph's dead, _dead._ The anger and grief returns and then I jerk my hand up again, just as Cody leans forward to examine his foot. The second icicle pierces his eye.

His scream is so terrible that even I feel bad for a moment, before I think of Joseph. The boy pulls back, clutching his face, his last existing eye glaring at me with an anger and hatred so terrible that I know he would have done the same to me. His tears turn to frost on his cheeks as the cold increases further in the room.

"Stop it, please, stop it!" he screams. More anger races through me, as strong as my grief and pain.

"If I ever see you again you traitorous bastard, I'll take your other fucking eye!" I scream, not even thinking straight.

Then the door bursts open and the mogs race in. I start screaming at Cody, screaming insults and threats as my grief takes over. Mogs pour into the room, some slipping on the icy floor, whilst others usher Cody away to another hospital room. More ice forms around the room, freezing equipment. A doctor in a white coat advances carefully towards me as I lie sobbing on the bed and I welcome the oblivion. To escape the pain of Joseph's death. To escape the hell I'm living in.

The needle is stabbed into my arm and then everything goes black.

* * *

**I always think that you should never believe someone is dead until you see a body or see them die. If there's no body or scene of a death, then it's highly unlikely that someone is dead.**

**So, hope you enjoyed and please review!**


	38. Chapter 37 - Coming to Terms

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I loved them all and really enjoyed reading them, especially your reactions! So a huge thank you to everyone!**

**So thank you all so much and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 37 – Coming to Terms

**John**

The Resistance headquarters are incredible. They're practically impossible to get to, even if you know where they are. At one point, I thought we were never going to get there. The journey through the air had taken a long time, despite us going at full speed to avoid as many mog ships as possible, but even then it had taken hours. We had flown to the South of Lorien, west of Innail and over the Black Water, the river the mogs are so scared of. Then, we reached the Mountains of Ice and Fire.

The Resistance were prepared when they chose their hideout. I had only briefly seen the first base by the foot of the mountains when we'd landed but what I had seen was impressive. Hidden beneath the ground with the only entrance a hole that was covered by a hatch are thousands of war airships, waiting for battle. I had seen some explosives as well but the base had stretched on too far for me to explore properly.

We had left our ship there before starting the next part of our journey. From this hidden base at the bottom of the mountains we had been taken to a high-speed train that stretched through the mountains towards the base on the other side, a part of Lorien that has never really been explored before. It had taken hours, even by train, but we had eventually gotten there.

The Resistance have chosen their base well. The mountains behind us make a natural barrier that the mogs would never defeat, even with the finest technology. Then there's a forest, surrounding us on land to the north and east, and then with a rocky bay on the final side, that I'm told is too dangerous to sail in. Every natural barrier possible protects the base; it's like Lorien is on our side and is hiding us. The mogs would struggle to find us. And even if they did find us, they'd have a hard time trying to destroy the place.

The true beauty of the hiding place is the base itself. There are a few, unimportant buildings above the ground, which I'm told holds plots to grow food and rear animals for eating. There are also some other facilities there, but with non-important functions. The real base is underground, and it's a structural masterpiece. It's like one long tower that stretches down into the ground instead of up, with loads of floors. Every floor spreads out over miles, with everything from an arsenal to a hospital to schools to accommodation.

The hospital and our rooms are on the bottom floor, the safest part of the base, even though the whole thing is pretty damn well protected. We haven't been allowed to explore yet, even though I'm desperate to, but first we have to recover from the ordeal in the Games. I'm still numb, disbelieving. I can't believe we're out of there; that the threat of death isn't hanging over us for the moment. And I'm only really starting to notice Sarah's absence now that I'm here, alone. The thought is so horrendous that I try to forget it. For now anyway. But I know that I can't fight it forever.

I walk down the hospital wing that's reserved for long time stays, knowing that Joseph's in the last room. I approach the door to his private room, taking in the information by the wall. Shock, broken arm, concussion, stitches where his tracker was removed…nothing deadly. Physically he'll recover but mentally…I just don't know.

I enter the room, trying to be quiet. I know his mentor visited him earlier and said he was intact, but that doesn't mean anything. I know I may look physically fine on the outside, but inside, I'm all torn up over Sarah and I'm barely holding on to sanity. At least I know she's safe, even if it's in twisted way. At least I know she won't be tortured, tormented for what could have been the last days of her life.

Joseph lies in bed, moving his head when he sees me enter. He's been propped up to a sitting position but his eyes are fixed on the ceiling as if it's fascinating. He looks healthy, and clean, his hair has been trimmed and he's dressed in a white hospital robe. There are plastic cuffs attached from his wrists to the bed, not to protect others, but to prevent him harming himself.

Joseph smiles wryly when he sees me. "They think I'm going to hurt myself so they put these on me," he sighs, tugging on his wrists. His eyes lock on mine and I can see his pain, even though he tries to hide it. I draw up a chair, not sure what to say. Both of us are mourning, although the circumstances are very different.

"And will you?" I ask. Joseph shoots me an irritated look, the first time I've seen him fully annoyed. Angry even.

"Of course not," he replies, his voice filled with frustration. "I'm upset, but I'm not going t hurt myself," he protests.

"I know, I know," I soothe him. "I'm sorry," he sighs, looking away from me and back at the ceiling.

I look down at the sheets, the clean white fabric so alien to me after the past few days of hell. The sweat, the blood, the muck of the jungle has all been washed away with one shower. But the memories won't go. They'll never go. Only yesterday I was in the arena, fighting for my life. Part of me still thinks this is all a dream until I look down at the bandage on my arm where my tracker used to be. Part of me _wants_ to be back in the jungle. Back there, everything was a game.

It's not a game anyway. It's a war.

"They say Marina will be ok," I say quietly to him. Joseph leans back on the bed, his face drawn with concern and fear.

"Oh yeah? How do they know?" he laughs bitterly. "She's in the Capital, John. They'll be _torturing_ her, _hurting_ her," his voice breaks and he blinks back tears, looking sick. I shake my head to make him feel better. Deep down, I believe every word he says.

"She didn't know anything about the plan. None of us knew, apart from Sophia, Melvin, Joslyn and Sarah," It hurts to say her name but I power on. I can mourn her in my own time, not when I'm trying to help Joseph. He doesn't need it. "They'll find out that soon enough, I promise," Joseph looks at me, his eyes desperate to believe me.

"They'll torture her for fun," he whispers, looking ill. "Send jabberjays with her screams all over Lorien," he says, his face pale beneath his tan. I don't know what to say because I wouldn't put it past them.

"They don't have the mentors in there," I point out. "They can't use Adelina against Marina to break her," I add. Joseph frowns, his face darkening.

"They have the stylists though and Marina was close to hers," he scowls, looking away from me. I look down, not sure what to say. Henri told me that the most important thing had been to get the mentors and a few choice others out of the Training Centre. They hadn't been able to get the stylists out.

"They won't hurt her," I repeat. "They want Ella on their side. Why would they hurt Marina to do that? That would ruin everything," Joseph nods, and I can see tears in his eyes. I want to comfort him, support him but I don't know what to say. The truth is, I have no idea what they'll be doing to the others in the Capital. I bet Stanley will be killed and the thought hurts badly. I don't want to lose anyone else.

"If we had all just stayed together, like Sophia suggested, then none of this would have happened," Joseph says bitterly, his hands scrunching into fists.

"I should have protected Marina," he whispers, his voice softer. "She should never have been in that arena, you know. I overheard Cody talking to her. She wasn't supposed to be called at all. She only went in there because she volunteered," I'm shocked by the confession and I know now is not the time for me to question Joseph, but I have to.

"What? Why?" I frown. Joseph laughs bitterly, staring at the ceiling again.

"Because they want her on their side. Because she can influence Ella. Because she's Loric, and can appeal to her own race," he sighs. "I don't know John, I don't know what they want her for. But I should have protected her," I shake my head, try to say something but he continues before I can talk.

"She doesn't really know what the mogs are capable of, not even now," he whispers. "She doesn't see the bad in people, not like we do. She doesn't believe that they can be so bad as to torture for fun," More tears form in his eyes. "And now she has to find out the hard way,"

There's nothing I can say. Everything he said was the truth.

"I should have protected Sarah," I sigh. "But in some ways, I'm glad I didn't. Because if she had been with the group in the Capital, then who knows what they would have done to her for knowing the truth," I whisper, my voice raw. Grief weighs me down and I try to blink back my own tears. Joseph winces and I know that it was entirely the wrong thing to say.

"And Maren?" he looks like he wants to change the subject. "How's Maren doing?" he asks.

"Not good," I shake my head. "Her sisters are in the Capital because of her. For someone that's always looked after her family, she's finding it hard to cope," Joseph nods, but I can tell he's not too worried about her. After all, she's safe. She's _here._

"I guess it's just us three until the others are rescued," he sighs.

I nod, a new determination rising in me. I've spent so much time feeling sorry for myself and thinking about how unjust everything is. Spent so much time worrying about the others. Spent the last few days grieving over Sarah and suffering from the pain of her death. But now things are different. The war between the mogs and the Loric is about to start and for some reason, me and the other Victors are going to be the leaders or symbols. I have to stop feeling sorry for myself, and focus on what is important, which is winning the war.

"I guess it's just us three against the mogs for now," Joseph says, looking pessimistic. I shake my head, wanting him to feel the same confidence that I feel.

"We have Sam and the mentors too, and that's not even including the Resistance and the uprising cities," I point out. "And once we've saved the others, we'll be unstoppable" Joseph frowns, unsure of whether to believe me.

"What can we do John? We're just kids. The Games will have been nothing compared to this," he whispers hopelessly. I don't know why but I don't share his pessimism. At least not right now.

"Hey, we started this whole thing, we have a duty to finish it," I say determined. "Who else will if we won't?" Joseph looks at me for a long moment then grins. It's a tried, weary smile but it's one all the less.

"Fine, you get your way," he sighs. "We'll fight this damn war. You, me and Maren will have to take over until the others join us," I grin, pleased to have won one person over. Maren will be harder; she doesn't trust anyone apart from Joseph and I after her family were abandoned. But I won't show Joseph my doubts; he's nervous enough as it is.

"Deal," I confirm.

Xxx

**Adam**

"Wow, you're finally awake,"

I smile when I hear Hannah, her voice filled with relieved annoyance. I slowly open my eyes, wincing at the bright light shining down on me. I'm in a hospital room; I can tell at once from the layout and machines next to the bed. I notice a dull ache in my head and I feel so tired, as if I've just been running a marathon. There's a funny burning feeling in my chest, as if I've used up too much energy, yet at the same time, my veins feel like they're filled with a current of energy. I turn my head to the side, expecting to see Hannah but it's not her. It's Alicia.

Pain races through me as I remember the last time I was awake. Hannah leaving me forever. Giving me her legacies to save Alicia. Killing Ivan and destroying the Training Centre. That must be why I'm so tired; the energy required to knock down the building was immense. I must still have the legacies; that's what the electric feeling is. They must be permanent instead of short-term.

"You all right?" Alicia asks, concern on her face. There's a clean bandage wrapped around her forehead and I can see some fading bruises but she looks all right.

"Yeah," I whisper but it's a lie. Hannah's gone forever. Only now do I really notice it. There's a space in my head that I hate; it's like I've lost a limb or something. I want to shut my eyes and cry, because only now do I really have to accept that Hannah is dead. That she died all those months ago in Round 3, killed by my brother. And she is never coming back to me. Never.

Alicia brushes her hair away from her face and it strikes me with a flash of pain just how similar she is to Hannah. How similar they sound, look and even act. They could be twins, if I didn't know that Alicia is 18, two years younger than Hannah. If I shut my eyes and heard her speak, she could be Hannah. Somehow that makes it worse.

"Where are we?" I try to distract myself from falling into a downward spiral of black grief.

"The Resistance headquarters," she replies. "After the fight, you collapsed in the helicopter. You were out for the whole journey, but I think you would have been blindfolded anyway. Just in case," she bites her lip, looking unsure. I nod, leaning back onto the pillow and staring at the ceiling.

"Of course," I smile, but it's bitter, no joy in it. "They still don't trust me," Alicia shakes her head, but I can see the doubt in her eyes. Even after everything, she's still nervous of me.

"You saved us…me. They do trust you…It's just, it's just that this has never happened before," she explains. "The mentors and those in the Capital believe you're one of us, but the Resistance are struggling. But they'll come round," she promises me. "Especially because you helped so much by destroying the Training Centre," she breaks off but I can see the burning curiosity on her face.

"You want to know what happened," I state. Of course they do. I collapsed the Training Centre and I'm a mog; I shouldn't have legacies. Maybe they think it's new mog technology to be able to harvest legacies. I'm surprised that I'm not in a cell to be honest.

"You made the earth shake," Alicia whispers, her arms crossed in suspicion. "You made the whole building collapse. How? None of the others told me!" she frowns. I turn to her again, confused.

"The others in the helicopter knew how you did it," she elaborates, her frustration obvious. "Ben, the mind reader, told them all after you passed out, but I wasn't allowed in the meeting room. They said that you had to tell me," she says, clearly annoyed.

So, they know that Hannah was in my mind and gave me legacies to save Alicia. They know that I'm on their side and not a spy, as I had feared for a few moments. But they expect me to tell Alicia because I was the last person Hannah ever talked to, spent time with. Besides, I know Hannah would want Alicia to know the truth. And she would want me to be the one to tell her.

"Alicia," I take a deep breath. "There's something I need to tell you," She watches me, fear in her eyes and I can understand why. She's scared of what I'm going to say.

I tell her everything. I start from the beginning, when I first met Hannah, when she entered my mind and showed me all of her memories to change me. I tell her about the meetings after Round 1, when I started falling for Hannah, whilst my father prepared for her death. I tell Alicia about how Hannah refused to let me help her and told me that she wouldn't let me save her. I explain how Hannah formed a bond in my mind after her death, and how she's been with me every moment. How she gave me her legacies at the end to save Alicia. How I fell in love with Hannah and she felt the same way.

At first she doesn't believe me. She shouts at me, calls me a liar, but when I start to share details about Hannah that only those close to her would know, I can see Alicia starting to doubt herself. She knows that Hannah would never have shared that information with someone she didn't trust. Maybe the thought of her sister being so close but so far is painful to Alicia, especially now that there's no way for them to speak again. And once she realizes that, she starts to cry.

It's awful, knowing she's crying because of me. Seeing her so vulnerable, so helpless makes me feel sick. Part of it will be leftover from Hannah; she was protective over her little sister and will have left that mark on me. And part of it will be my feelings for Hannah changing everything. I try to sit up, try to make her feel better but she skirts away from me, her arms wrapped protectively around herself. I try to ignore the flash of rejection but it's so hard. She's so like Hannah yet so different too.

"I miss her too," I say once Alicia has calmed down enough to hear me. I can see more tears in her eyes, but it seems like the worst is over for now. Or maybe she's just trying to hide it. "Having my mind so empty…it's alien," I whisper. Alicia sniffs, wiping her nose with her tissue.

"I wish she had been in my mind. I wish I could have heard her, one last time," she says, her voice low and thick with tears. I reach out and take her hand, and to my surprise she doesn't pull away. It makes me feel happier than I would have thought.

"She loved you, so much more than I think you'll ever know," I tell her. Hannah would want me to tell her this. "That's why she gave me the legacies in the end. To save you," I smile sadly. "It was always about you,"

Alicia sniffs softly. "Thanks…for telling me that, Adam," I think it's the first time she's ever really said my name without malice or hatred. She stands up, and I can see she's on the verge of crying some more. But she doesn't want to be around me, she wants to hide away, where no one can see her cry. I understand that. I would want space too.

"I'll see you later," she whispers, her lips trembling. She blinks rapidly and then turns away from the bed, unsteadily walking away.

I watch her go, feeling like another part of me has just been ripped away, but I know she has to go. And as horrible as it sounds, I want her to go, so I can be by myself. Maybe a few days from now we can mourn Hannah together, sharing memoires about her that the other doesn't know about. We can talk about how strong Hannah was, how brave and how kind. We can even bond a little over the girl we both love. But now is the moment to get to terms with her grief.

Because Hannah has gone. And she is never coming back.

Xxx

**Marina**

I sit in my new cell, staring at the blank walls surrounding me. There's only one door with a grill to push food through, no windows, and the whole place is white and bare. There's just a bed, a toilet and a sink. No books, nothing for me to pass the time with. I could go mad in here. I _will_ go mad in here.

I wrap the blanket around me, shivering from the cold. Ice coats the walls, twisted into delicate patterns caused by the cracking plaster of the walls. Frost coats the tears on my cheeks and freezes the water dripping out of the tap. It's all my own creation of course but I can't seem to let the legacy go. Part of me knows that I need a mentor to help me control my master legacy, but the mogs refuse to give me one. I guess I'll have to train myself for the moment. Yet I just can't find it in me to care. I don't want to train, I want to curl up in a ball, and scream. I want to forget the world.

Joseph's gone forever. He promised me that he would always be there with me, always be by my side but he isn't. He's gone and I'm all alone in this world. For all I know, the others who managed to escape are in hiding, forgetting about the rest of us. Sophia and Stanley are here somewhere in the Justice Building, as is Ella, but I'm not allowed to see them and I don't want to. Hector's probably dead after what I did to Cody, as punishment for my actions. None of it matters of course. I wouldn't even care if I could spend the days with them because Joseph's dead. He's the only one I want to be with.

I wonder if he suffered. If he waited for me to heal him. The thought sends such a pang of pain through my chest that I try not to think about how he died. I wish he were here, his arms around me, his familiar laugh melting the ice in my room and around my heart. But he's lying in a morgue nearby, no doubt his corpse enduring mogadorian experiments. I sob at the thought, more ice creeping up the walls, as I bite down on the blanket to muffle my crying. I don't want the mogs to hear me cry, even though I'm sure the cameras in here will be showing me on every monitor they have.

My breath fogs in the air and my fingers are numb with cold. I need to control this legacy, even if it seems impossible. I close my eyes, trying to think of Joseph, some good memory to make me happy. But every memory of Joseph just reminds me that he's dead and my pain and grief makes the ice worse. I feel my tears freezing on my cheeks and I know if I don't hurry up, I could freeze to death. Despite everything, I don't want to die. I have to live. It's what Joseph would want.

"Concentrate," I whisper. I think of Ella instead, the only person I have left. I imagine her smile, the gap in her teeth still there, her laugh as I say something funny. I can feel the air starting to warm up and I open my eyes to see the ice melt to rivulets streaming down the wall. It's still cold, that will probably never go, but it's better than before.

I watch as the ice melts in the room, the only beauty in here gone. I catch a drop on my finger, concentrating on my legacy, and watching it turn to ice once more. It's beautiful, almost like a diamond, and it's the first time that I really enjoy my legacy. Appreciate its beauty instead of its destructive power.

I hadn't meant to hurt Cody, thinking back on it now. I wish I could heal his eye at least; no one should be blinded like that. He didn't kill Joseph personally, the mogs did. Joseph didn't die for me to hurt Cody and I feel ashamed of my actions. I suppose the only plus is that the mogs are so terrified of losing their own eyes that they have barely approached me. It won't last forever but long enough for me to start to cope with the grief of Joseph's death and start to get to know my legacy a bit more.

Joseph. Every thought always turns back to him. I close my eyes and I can practically see him in front of me; his green eyes, always mischievous, his curly hair that was always wild, his grin that promised a day of adventures. I miss him so much that it hurts and more tears streak down my cheeks. The grief and pain are constant reminders of my loss. What I would give to spend one day with him, to say goodbye, to say thanks. He made every day worth living, he brightened up the darkness that was my life and made fighting worth it. Now that he's gone, there's nothing for me to look forward to. There's no laughter left for me.

I won't give up though. He wouldn't want me to give up. He'd want me to fight, for myself, for Lorien. He would never want me to join the mogs, no matter what they do to me. If I can just turn my grief and pain into determination then I know that I will be able to fight. But when I'm so cold with grief and pain, how can I even think about fighting? How can I think about rebelling when all I want is for him to lie down with me and never let go?

I lie down in bed, wrapping the blanket around me and shutting my eyes. My head aches and my body is still sore from the arena, despite the meds the mogs put me on. More tears streak down my cheeks and I try to think of something happy, something different from my predicament. Something that doesn't involve the thought of Joseph's death. Within minutes I'm asleep, apparently more tired than I thought.

Sometimes when I'm having a very hard time, I'll get a good dream as if to relieve me of pain. This time I'm on a beach with Joseph, the two of us sitting by the waves as they gently crash onto the sand. It's like the arena expect there isn't a cornucopia and we're the only ones there. The sun is setting and it's warm, so warm. It feels like it's been years since I was warm. I'm in Joseph's arms and we're laughing, although I don't know what about. His arms feel the same in the dream as they did in real life and he's grinning down at me. His eyes shine with life and his face is filled with so much love, so much life. When I look up at him, I can't help but think that Cody is lying. How can someone this alive be dead? How can someone who I love so much have left me forever?

When I wake up, my pillow is wet with tears.

Xxx

"You have a visitor," I look up from making snowflakes, my heart racing in my chest when I see Ella. Before I can really accept that she's in front of me, I jump up from my bed, and she runs for me, both of us knocking into each other. We're both sobbing and we cling to each other, her arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

"You're ok," I whisper, stroking her hair. "You're alive," She nods, burying her head in my shoulder, her own wracked with sobs. She laughs, shaking as much as I am.

"Yeah, I'm ok," she whispers. "I was so worried about you! I saw the whole thing on TV and then the screens went black. I had no idea if you were alive or not!" I nod, stroking her hair to reassure her, but she doesn't realize that one of us _did _die.

"It was a little scary," I admit. "But I'm so much happier knowing that you're alive," I smile. I pull back to take a long look at her, when I notice the fading bruise on her cheek. They hit her. They _hit_ her. Anger rises up in me, so fast and strong that I can feel the temperature start to drop around us again. Ella's eyes widen in shock and I try to calm down but it's so hard.

"Sorry, sorry," I whisper, closing my eyes. I have tears on my cheeks and I can feel them freezing onto my skin now but I try to melt the ice. I think of Ella, she's alive and in front of me. She's _alive._ And the others are safe. I can feel some of the chill disappearing but it will always be there.

"A new legacy?" she whispers. I nod leading her over to the bed, and I wrap us in a blanket, as if it could hide us away from the world and the mogs. Ella snuggles into me and I cling to her, needing her as much as she needs me.

"What's going to happen to us?" she whispers. I shake my head because I don't know. I won't stay in here forever, I know that, but what will happen when they move me? Will I be tortured for hurting Cody? Will they think I was part of the plan to get us out? Will they kill me publically? The thoughts make my heart pound with fear but I can't show Ella. She has enough to deal with.

"Where are they keeping you?" I ask her, so quietly that only she can hear. She moves her head so that she can whisper in my ear; I don't want the mogs overhearing.

"In these really nice rooms. I think they want me to join their side, and you too, but they must think you're a threat at the moment," she says almost silently. "Maybe we should, you know. Join them," I pull back from her, feeling so betrayed by her words, that she looks scared. But then realization hits her and she reaches for my hand, shaking her head.

"I meant pretend," she whispers. "We could be spies or something," she adds. I consider her words. Maybe she could get away with it. They're desperate for her to be on side and Ella's clever; she can play along and fool them. But I will never ever be one of them, not even in pretend.

"I can't," I shake my head. "I…I hurt Cody really badly Ella," I admit, my cheeks red with shame. He deserved it but I don't want to be like him, hurting for the sake of it. "I took out his eye,"

I expect her to recoil away from me, even though that would kill me. I can't lose her too, not after losing Joseph. But she simply smiles sadly, her hands still holding mine. She almost looks pleased.

"Good," she says fiercely. "He deserves it. They all do," she looks towards the door nervously and lowers her voice. "We'll make them pay, Marina. If we have to play the game, then we will,"

My instinct is to protect her but I know that she's more than capable of protecting herself. And she's right. If we play along with the mogs, then we're not only protecting ourselves, but we're finding out information. Maybe the others will rescue us. Maybe we can give them information. Yet…I can't. I can't play along with the game. I can't do it, knowing that Joseph is dead and it's their fault. And if I resist, then they'll take their anger out on me and appreciate Ella's cooperation. She'll be even safer.

"You play along with their game," I whisper to her softly. "They'll fall for it if you do it," I take a deep breath. "But…I'll never join them, they know that," I whisper, my voice hoarse. I have to tell her. Cody didn't even have the decency to do it for me. He's just making me suffer again.

"But you can, you can!" Ella whispers excitedly. She's animated at the thought of playing the mogs at their game. I shake my head and she stops, probably reading the look on my face. Or maybe it's the tears. Or maybe the broken look that I must have on my face.

"Joseph's dead," I whisper. Ella shakes her head but I nod, my own grief rising up and choking me. I can feel my throat closing up and I draw in a shuddering breath, trying to breathe.

"No, no he can't be," Ella murmurs but I nod, gripping her hands tightly.

"Yes, he _is,"_ I say fiercely. "I took Cody's eye out when he told me. Joseph's gone and they know that I will never _ever_ join them because of it. If I join them, it'll look suspicious," Ella nods, tears in her eyes, and I pull her to me. We sit on my bed in the cold room, both of us shivering. I don't even have it in me to want to stop the cold.

"We'll avenge his death, Marina," Ella whispers fiercely, a new light in her eyes. "I promise. We'll make them pay,"

* * *

**So, not much action but hopefully it was still interesting. **

**There are going to be some POV changes from now on. Cody will ****_not_**** have a POV although he will be featured heavily. Ella is going to be a new one instead, as she is going to be ****_very _****important from now on. The others are pretty much all the same.**

**Hope you enjoyed and please review!**


	39. Chapter 38 - Bargains

**Hi guys! **

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! They are all so nice and I know I say it every week but they really make this story worth writing. So thank you so much!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Sophia/Stanley's POVs are coming up in this chapter so you don't have to wait for much longer**

\- **It will be John/Maren but it's going to take time. But that doesn't mean they won't have scenes together.**

\- **Yeah, I didn't think there was much John/Joseph bromance in the series but I think they could be really good friends, so I want to work on that in this story.**

**Please read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 38 – Bargains

**Maren**

_My name is Maren Elizabeth Everdeen. I took part in the Funeral Games. I have two sisters who are stuck in the Capital with my mother. They are probably being tortured right now. I wish they were dead. It would be better if they were dead. _

"Maren," I look away from the white ceiling, watching as Katarina hovers by the door. I'm in my own private hospital room and I like it that way. No visitors, just the doctors who pump morphine into me to make me sleep. I don't have time to think about what has happened or what will happen. It suits me.

"What?" I whisper. I haven't spoken to her since the hovercraft and I don't know what to say to her. Has it only been a few days? It feels like a lifetime. I'm embarrassed about hurting her, especially when I see the thin red lines on her cheeks from my nails. It's not her who's at fault for this. If she had her way, she would have saved my family, I know she would have.

But that doesn't mean that every time I stare at her, I can't help but feel betrayed.

"There's a meeting in Commandment tomorrow," she says nervously. "I think…I think it would be a good idea if you were to come," I turn away from her, staring at the ceiling again. Once I would have gone, desperate to avenge the mogs. But it's like all my fight has disappeared; I'm consumed with a numb fear of what could be happening to my family.

"Maren, please," Kat whispers. "You need to be there. We need to explain some things to you…to the others," she adds. Once that might have interested me, but all I can think about is Lilia, Catia, my mother, trapped in some prison cell. Are they being tortured? If they are, it's all my fault.

"Leave me alone," I reply. "I don't want to talk to you," I hear her sigh and then she turns, heading away from me. I hear her walking away from me and only then do I let a few tears slip from my eyes.

I roll over, pressing my face into the pillow, letting my tears soak into the cotton. I'm so worried about my sisters, my mother, and I can't bear to even think about what the mogs are doing to them. I shudder as I remember their screams in the arena: that's no longer a nightmare but a reality. I bite down on my lip to hide my sobs, but it's so hard. Guilt, fear, anger, pain…I'm consumed by the emotions but this time there is no morphine to drag me into darkness.

I can't even leave the hospital to see how the others are doing. They've fixed these plastic handcuffs onto my wrists to stop me from leaving, and I know that I could break them if I really wanted. But days of lying comatose on the bed have left me unwilling to leave. How is Joseph doing, knowing that Marina is in the Capital, being tortured for information she doesn't have. How is John handling everything, knowing that Stanley is in there and being punished for acting out against the mogs. How is Sam doing, knowing that he was saved, whilst others were let down?

The next few hours drag along slowly, and the only way I know that time hasn't stood still is because of the clock on the wall. My stomach starts to rumble, but no one comes. I want company more than anything and I wish Kat were back, even if all I would do is scream at her. I want someone to hold me, to reassure me that everything will be ok. I want to be the weak one for once, with someone looking after _me._

When I finally do get a visitor, it's not someone I was expecting. I thought he would be in bed like me, moping just like I am. But Joseph stands by the door, a sad smile on his face when he sees me. He's dressed in normal clothes but I can see a tag around his wrist that must warn people of his slightly delicate temperament. Yet, he can't be entirely unstable because he's been allowed to come and see me. He looks determined.

"I hear you're not coming to Commandment tomorrow for the meeting," Joseph finally says. I shake my head and he walks inside, dragging a chair close to sit by me. He settles down and I can feel him watching me, judging me.

"It's important," Joseph sighs, running a hand through his hair. "We're in the middle of a war now, Maren. We need to fight, not just for us, but for those in the Capital. For Lorien," he stresses. I wince, thinking of my poor mother and sisters, and a lump forms in my throat. I don't know what to say but I think Joseph can see my wavering resolve. He reaches out, and takes my hand in his.

"We can change the world," he whispers. "John made me realise this and he's still mourning over Sarah. We can do incredible things, change lives for the better. We just have to be strong enough to take the first step," he says softly. I sigh, and when I speak, my voice is raw.

"And going to the meeting will change the world?" I try to sound sarcastic, but I just sound hurt. Joseph smiles weakly but I can see the determination in his eyes.

"It's a start. And we can bargain with the Resistance, make it one of our terms to release the others from the Capital," he points out. I nod, but I'm still filled with doubt, with fear. I hate myself for it, but only now am I aware that one wrong move could spell the end for my sisters and mother.

"I can't. They'll be hurting my mother. My sisters," I whisper weakly. "If I help lead a war, it'll be worse for them," I whisper. If I was expecting sympathy from Joseph, I don't get it. He stands up, annoyance on his face, and he lets go of my hand. Rejection races through me and I want more than anything for Kat to be here, looking out for me.

"They'll be hurting them whether you sit in bed and sulk, or if you come out and help us," he snaps. I've never seen him so angry before in my life. "But you can make a greater difference if you help us," I glare at him, and instead of fear, anger races through me. I feel stronger than before, as if my anger is feeding me energy, and I feel my hands clench into fists.

"I'm _not_ sulking!" I snap. "I just care about what happens to the ones I love!" Joseph turns white with anger and I can see the reason why he's got his tag on. He's just as unstable as me; he just doesn't look it.

"You're not the only one to have lost people, Maren!" He yells. "John lost Sarah and he's willing to fight! I lost Marina and I will do anything to bring her here! We all have to fight. We all have to suffer! But lying in bed, feeling sorry for yourself, won't help at all!" he yells, his face red. I stare at him, open mouthed and ashamed.

What happened to me? Only a few days ago in the arena I was willing to die for what I believed in. I blew up the arena to rebel! I would have done anything to make the mogs pay and fight for my planet. But now, I'm doing nothing. Am I really a coward deep down? Or am I terrified of what will happen to my family if I join the Resistance? I feel a few tears in my eyes and I can see a flash of guilt in Joseph's eyes, but he squares his jaw. He's right; I'm weak, pathetic. I've done nothing but feel sorry for myself whilst I could have been doing something to help Lorien, my family. I shouldn't be angry with the others…I should be angry with _me._

"You know, Maren," Joseph heads towards the door, his face disappointed. And that is all the more worse. "The reason you were saved first is because they thought that you were a real fighter. That you would change everything," he shakes his head. "They were wrong. They should have saved the others instead,"

And with that verbal slap, he leaves the room.

Xxx

The base is impressive, that's for sure. I've only seen the ground floor, the very bottom floor of the complex, but it's so cool. There are corridors that lead off everywhere and I bet it would take years to explore the whole place. For now, I'm only allowed on the bottom floor with the hospital and Commandment, but we've been promised a tour.

I head through a few corridors, avoiding the large cavernous room that I briefly saw when I first came here. I decided to come to the meeting after all, embarrassed after my last few days of inactivity. And really, I feel better to be moving around and doing something. I'm still terrified for my family but doing something has given me my determination that I missed. I'm starting to feel like me again, like the girl that hung Setrakus in the training room. Like the girl that called the mogs her enemies on national television. Like the one who blew up the arena. I want to be her again, even if only for a few hours.

"Welcome to Commandment,"

My guard pauses outside a normal-looking door and then swipes a card in front of a keypad. The door swings open and my mouth drops open in shock when I see the room. It's a normal conference room with boards of displays and graphs, which mean nothing to me. But it's the middle of the room that is incredible. A large table dominates the room, but it's not like any table I've ever seen before. Where the surface should be flat, there is a holographic map of Lorien. The map rises and lowers with the mountains and rivers of Lorien, and smoke rises from many of the cities dotted around. There are different colours, which could mean differing stages of uprisings in the cities, and I can see the Capital in the very centre of Lorien.

Around the table, I can see some of the mentors including Henri and Kat, who both seem surprised to see me. Sam and John sit close to one another, with Joseph a few seats away. It's so good to see Sam after so long and he shoots me a reassuring grin to make me feel better. We'll have time to catch up after this meeting but for now I need to be professional. Everyone wears the same black jumpsuit that I was forced to dress into this morning. I'm barely aware of the guard shutting the door behind me because my eyes are fixed on the _thing_ next to Joseph. A mog.

"What is _he_ doing here?" I snarl, my familiar anger reappearing when I see a mog. I grip my hands into fists and prepare for a fight, when a woman at the head of the table steps up. She looks vaguely familiar but I can't place the familiarity. She's very stern but beautiful, and her greying hair has been pulled back into a tight ponytail. She's wearing a blue jumpsuit, as if to emphasise her importance.

"He's one of our allies," her voice is calm but stern. "He will explain his story in due time but for now, please be seated," There's no arguing with her, I can see that at once, and I drag up a chair next to John. He shoots me a grin, apparently relieved that I'm here. I eye up the mog boy warily but he doesn't seem so threatening. I could easily take him. Even now.

"Thank you all for coming," the woman begins calmly. "I am President Laws of the Resistance," I guess I'm supposed to be intimidated but I'm not. "It's a shame that there are a reduced number of Victors from what I was expecting, but three are more than enough to continue the process they begun," I notice Henri nod meekly and I get the feeling that he was told off badly for failing his mission.

"If three is such a bad number, then we should rescue the others," I find myself talking before I can stop myself. Something about this woman bugs me. Maybe it's her natural authority or the fact that she blames Henri for failing when it wasn't even his fault. The woman looks at me coolly.

"A rescue mission would be unwise," she announces. I see Joseph stiffen nearby and John shakes his head next to me, but neither of them speak up. I guess it's my turn again.

"Hey, it's not our fault you left them in there," I snap. Laws sighs, and I can sense her annoyance with me. Well, I don't care.

"The captives have been taken to the Justice Building within the Capital. It's practically impossible to ambush and a rescue mission would cause hundreds of unnecessary deaths, as well as revealing our insiders in the Capital," Laws explains. "It should be considered a last resort mission. We will only carry it out until it's absolutely necessary"

I can see her point but that doesn't mean that I don't agree. My family and friends have to be saved; who knows what will happen? Sophia is in grave danger after her role in the arena, and Stanley is too. He might not have known anything but he was one of the first to instigate the uprisings. Marina…well, she should be safe, but then who knows? She and Ella could be killed to set an example. I open my mouth to argue but then Kat shoots me a look and I know that it would be better to protest another time. Maybe I can wrangle an agreement.

"Fine," I scowl. Sam smiles at me wearily but I don't care.

"Adamus Sutekh, you are free to speak," Laws settles down and I watch as the mog boy nervously eyes the room. I notice the girl next to him, her face very familiar. She looks a bit like Hannah, but it must be a coincidence.

"Right, um, hi everyone," Adamus coughs nervously and I smirk in amusement. The girl shoots me an angry look and then Adamus begins his story.

It's a crazy story, and I almost wouldn't believe it, if not for the mind reader in the room who claims that every word is real. The story starts off with Hannah, the girl who I could have saved if only I was stronger, and Adam, the mog who was in our Games, and how he became one of us. I thought he was familiar but I just couldn't place him. The idea of Hannah turning him to our side, and Adam taking her legacies is so extreme, so fantastical that I don't want to believe it…but I do. There's something about Adam that doesn't scream mog-like and I think that's because he's been turned half-Loric almost. Despite every instinct telling me not to, I believe him.

Doesn't mean I trust him though.

Adam sits down once it's over and both John and I look at each other in shock, stunned by the story. The idea that a mog could be turned against it's own race is huge. If Adam changed, then maybe others can change too. Maybe we can have more allies on our side. But then, if Adam changed, maybe that means the Loric can become our enemies too. After all, Cody may not be a mog but he seems to be working for them. I want to question this mog but it seems that like my reunion with Sam, it'll have to wait. But I've never been very good at waiting.

"And onto the next part of our meeting," Laws stands up, not looking at all ruffled by the story. I hate her calm demeanour, her constant attitude of being in control. "This centres on you," her eyes focus on John, Joseph and I and I frown slightly, her eyes bearing into me.

"What about us?" I reply. Kat rolls her eyes but I think she's relieved to see me returning to normal. Laws smiles coolly but I can see the dislike in her eyes. I bet she wishes that I was left behind and others were saved in my place.

"When the mogs took over Lorien, all the Elders were killed," Henri takes over; apparently this is his forte. "But before they died, Loridas, one of the Elders, told us of a prophecy," John opens his mouth, confusion on his face.

"But how?" he asks. Henri smiles, as if pleased about something.

"You see there was a Resistance from the very start of the Occupation and we were part of it. Loridas was able to tell us of the prophecy just before his death_,"_ he says. "But anyway, it was said that in the future, when the time was right, ten Loric children would come forth with the legacies of the Elders. Only these Elders would be more powerful than even the original Elders," he explains. I shrug, confused.

"Ok, so we're going to be seeing ten kids come forwards claiming to be old Loric Elders in the next few weeks. So what?" I scowl. This conversation is boring and it doesn't solve the issue of the war, or of saving my family and friends.

"They've already come forwards," Kat smiles. "They came forwards when they were called for the 14th Annual Funeral Games," There's a long silence as I stare at the others, confused. I can't seem to take that on board but before I can protest or say anything, Henri carries on.

"Once the Games were established by the mogs, we realised that there would be a year when ten Loric children were selected who would take the place of the Elders. The Calling was the only way for the Elders to be presented without the mogs suspecting a thing. They would be the most deserving, the strongest of all Loric and they would each fulfil one of the roles of the Elders," he explains.

"Roles?" Sam asks, interested. Henri nods and one of the boards on the walls changes, a list taking form: Beauty, innocence, joy, courage, intelligence, justice, compassion, loyalty, strength and power.

"These are the original roles that are embodied by every Elder, all are traits of the Loric," Henri explains. "Each one of you fulfils a different role,"

"Wait, wait, wait!" I protest. "So we're some of the Elders of Lorien now? Who are the rest?" I ask. I don't feel like an Elder, I just feel like a girl who's been through into something that is far beyond her.

"Hannah, Hannu, Maggie, John, Cody, you, Marina, Joseph, Stanley and Ella were the original ten Elders," Katarina explains. "Obviously, there were some problems with that when some of you died. And Cody has lost all claim to being an Elder after his actions. Lorien has denounced him unless he proves himself," she whispers sadly. It's interesting to hear that Cody has lost his right to be an Elder but I can ask about that later.

"And we have different roles? What's mine?" Joseph asks, interested. His curiosity seems to lighten the tone a little and I notice Henri smile as he consults his list. I guess it's nicer than talking about death and torture.

"Loyalty," he says. Loyalty. That suits Joseph perfectly. He's so loyal to us all, especially Marina. He would teleport in front of a sword for any of us if it meant saving the world.

"John is courage," Henri continues. Again, that would fit. He's brave and strong and courageous.

"And me?" I ask.

"Justice," Kat replies. I shrug, trying to appear casual, but deep down, I like that. Justice. It suits me.

"The roles don't matter," Laws intervenes. "What matters is that the prophecy said that when these ten would rise, then the mogs would face their fate," she says. "We took that to mean that there would be a revolution, like the one that is about to rage any day," she says.

"So we're going to be the symbols of this revolution then," John asks. Henri nods, a smile on his face.

"Yes, pretty much," he nods. I frown, so many questions in my mind, but I know now is not the time for it. I can ask Kat later on, when there aren't so many people around.

"So how are we going to be fighting this war?" I ask. Laws shuffles some papers, her face stoic.

"That can wait for another meeting," she says, apparently not interested in talking to us anymore. "For now, it's about time that you saw the base. And met the Resistance,"

Xxx

**Sophia**

The cold manacles around my wrists are the first things I'm aware of when I wake up. Then the scent of blood and metal hits me, the smell automatically sending shivers down my spine. I can feel the cold stone floors that I'm sleeping on, the chill seeping through my thin jumpsuit that I'm still wearing from the arena. I'm shivering since there doesn't seem to even be a blanket, but I try to pretend that I'm asleep in case someone is watching me. I'm in danger of course and I need to be prepared for anything.

I think back on the last time I was awake. I was in the arena, running from the careers who had been able to sneak up on us. Marina and Stanley had followed me, and the three of us had killed one of the careers before the other ran off. I'd wanted them to head back to Maren, to protect her after I had hit her. It was the only way to save her. I knew that she would want to fight and she had to head back to the tree, where the Resistance were going to rescue us. I had thought that if she were injured, she would go after John who could heal. I had hoped that Marina and Stanley would follow Maren, not me. But even after everything went wrong, there was still a chance to make things better. I just had to lead them back to the tree.

But then the lightning had hit the arena and everything exploded.

Marina and Stanley must be here with me. They were next to me when the arena fell apart and I remember Stanley trying to protect us as the structure fell to pieces, thudding into the ground next to us. Then the helicopter had descended and I had been so sure it was the Resistance. I had thought that despite the screwed-up plan they had still managed to find us. It wasn't until I was inside the craft and my hands were locked into cuffs that I realized it wasn't the Resistance at all.

That was when they knocked me out.

I open my eyes slowly, and I immediately take in the bars across the entrance to the cell. But I can't hear the breathing of the guards; I must be alone. I sit up slowly, taking in the three concrete walls, the toilet and the sink. There's a mattress for a bed and all in all, it's not too bad for a cell. That's until I notice the drain in the middle of the floor, the floors slightly angled down so that something can flood into the drain. Blood.

"Sophia?" I turn, seeing Stanley opposite me in his own cell. He looks slightly beaten up but alive. I wonder if they did that to him or if he's still suffering from the arena.

"Stanley!" I gasp, inching closer to the bars. My wrists tug against the cuffs painfully as I strain to reach him but it's impossible of course. I barely manage to get to the bars, let alone across the corridor to the other cell. He grins when he sees me, despite the bruises all over his face. Like me, he's not in the flimsy jumpsuit that we wore in the arena, but normal clothes now.

"Fancy seeing you here," he says, his voice rough. I look around, wondering if there are guards around but I haven't seen any. The place must be so well guarded and under constant surveillance that they probably think guards are unnecessary.

"Who else is here?" I ask. If they have Maren then I failed the Resistance. I failed my job. They wanted Maren and Stanley above all but if they have one of the two, then my mission wasn't a complete failure. They still have someone to help the fight.

"I think we're the only ones," he replies. "Apart from Marina, but I have no idea where she is," he frowns in concern but I'm not too worried. Marina isn't in danger. They'll try to convert her more than anything; she hasn't done nearly enough to guarantee danger like Stanley or Maren. Or me.

"We need to get out of here," I say urgently. I can only imagine what I'll have to suffer for knowing the plan, and fear starts to tear at me, wearing down my strength. I don't want to be tortured…I don't want to be hurt.

"I know," Stanley says grimly. "I've been trying everything but it's impossible," For the first time, I see real fear on his face. "They…they took away our legacies…they injected us with this chemical,"

I swear, leaning forwards and resting my head against the cold bars. It helps ease my headache but not my fear. We are completely at the mercy of the mogs now and I know how angry they are. If I don't get Stanley and I out of here, we could be dead in days. The Resistance won't try to free us, not unless they desperately need us, yet I can't see that happening. With Maren, John, Joseph and maybe Marina on their side, Stanley and I aren't needed. We have to escape or we're dead.

Unless…unless I strike a deal with the mogs. I know things that they'll be desperate to know about. Maybe I can strike a deal to protect Stanley and I from torture and death. Can I do that? Can I betray the Resistance? But then I look at Stanley, see my fear reflected in his eyes and I know that I can. For him, I can do it. If it means protecting him, then I'll do anything.

"At least we don't know anything," Stanley sighs, leaning against the bars. "They can't hurt us for information that we don't know about," I bite my lip and then shake my head softly. Stanley understands at once. I see panic cross his face; he grips the bars and I notice his knuckles are white.

"You _knew?"_ His voice highlights how betrayed he feels but I can tell he's also scared. Because he knows how much trouble I'm in. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demands. I laugh but it's bitter and it's obvious how scared I am. My hands are shaking and I take a deep breath, wincing when I hear the far off clang of a door. Are the guards coming for me?

"In case this happened," I whisper. He shakes his head and I can see his fear, not for himself, but for _me._

"Pretend you know nothing," he says fiercely. "I won't let them hurt you, Sophia. I won't," he vows but we both know he can't do anything. I hear the thudding march of some boots and I begin to tremble, horrible images of being strapped down to a machine running through my mind. Stanley swallows, looking sick.

"It'll be ok," I lie. "It'll be fine," I whisper. Stanley shakes his head, panic on his face, and then we hear a much closer bang of a door. They're coming. I cower away from the bars, not trying to hide my fear. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's the thought of being hurt for fun. I hear the guards marching down the corridor and then they round the corner.

There are only five of them, but all are huge and burly and angry. One has handcuffs in his hands and their eyes are fixed on me. They march to my door, and unlock it quickly, apparently under strict orders. One unlocks my cuffs and then drags me upwards by my hair with a sharp jerk. I cry out in pain as some hair is ripped out from the roots, and I hear Stanley yelling, banging against the bars. I watch as another mog turns and hits him with the baton, the weapon hitting Stanley in the face. I call out his name in concern as he falls back, clutching his nose, but he's still shouting at them. I'm dragged out of my cell, the grips on my arms so painfully tight.

"Don't hurt him!" I yell. One mog backhands me and I hear Stanley shouting again, clawing at the bars.

Then a bag envelops my head and I can't see anything.

Xxx

I'm dumped on a cold marble floor; the bag removed from my head a short while later. I struggle to get to my feet at once but my hands have been locked behind my back in handcuffs. I look around, taking in the rather bare room with the maps on the walls and the desk in the centre. This isn't one of the opulent rooms of the Training Centre that I've been used to living in for the past few years. We're somewhere else in the Capital, somewhere designed for war.

"Please, take a seat," I shudder at the voice, especially when I notice the huge hulking figure by the window. Setrakus Ra. I would recognize his monstrous face, his incredible height and his cruel voice anywhere. Seeing him sends shivers down my spine and I taste bile in my mouth.

I get to my feet, struggling slightly, but I finally manage it. My knees are shaking, as I take a seat by the desk, watching nervously as Setrakus heads over, taking the seat opposite me. His face is cruel but amused as he watches me take in the room. I can see the Capital from the window but I don't recognize the view. So, I've never been in this building before. I run through all the military buildings in the Capital but the only one I can think of is the Justice Building.

"I won't insult you by hiding the gravity of your situation," Setrakus smiles cruelly. "You were a part of a group to take down the arena and hide the others with the Resistance," he says bluntly. I swallow nervously, silently thanking Henri and the others for never telling me where the base was. Then everything would be ruined.

"Yes," I whisper. There's no point in lying. Maybe if I tell the truth, everything will be so much easier for me. Maybe they won't hurt me so badly. I wish more than anything that I could have mind control back and I could read his mind, but I can't. I wonder how long I'll be without my legacies.

"Stanley was not aware of this group for his safety, yet he has still caused various uprisings in Lorien," Setrakus continues, pouring himself a glass of something red. "Therefore, his situation is as serious as yours," I swallow nervously, wanting to defend Stanley but I can't seem to find the words.

"What do you want of me?" I ask. I know that this is perhaps the only chance I have to protect Stanley and I. I have to make it count instead of mouthing off to the most powerful man in the world. If it was just my life in the balance I wouldn't give a damn about playing along with him. But it's not just my life at risk.

"You have two options," Setrakus muses, a grin on his face. He knows that he's won…for now. "You can refuse to tell us anything about this Resistance and your friend Stanley will die. Not immediately of course," he grins. "We'll draw the death out…make him beg for death before the end," I shudder, the thought of Stanley screaming as they torture him to death making me feel sick.

"Or?" my mouth feels dry. Setrakus smiles, triumphant.

"Or you can join us. Tell us what you know about the Resistance, do as we tell you, follow our orders," he shrugs. "Your precious boyfriend will be kept in good conditions and a finger won't be laid on him," I blush a little, shaking my head.

"He's not my boyfriend," I say weakly. Setrakus laughs, apparently not buying my feeble denial.

"Then why are you going to choose option two?" he retorts. He's got me there. I want to go for option one just to combat his confidence, just to refute his arrogance but I can't. Not if I can save Stanley.

"Fine," I whisper, feeling numb. I may not be tortured but now I'm a traitor. If not for Stanley being safe, then I would never have done this. "Fine, I'll be your little pet. I'll do whatever you tell me," my words are bitter, filled with hatred but defeat too. "As long as you promise me that nothing will happen to Stanley," I say fiercely. Setrakus smiles serenely, opening his hands out as if to placate me.

"Of course I would never harm him," he says calmly. "I don't break promises. I reward those loyal to me, as you shall come to realize," I want to spit in his face, shout that I don't believe him but I can't. I just nod and when he reaches out to shake my hand to signal our deal, I do as I'm told.

"Very well," Setrakus stands, a grin on his face. "As your reward for joining us, you are to be lodged with your precious Stanley," I nod, relief coursing through me. Setrakus makes a gesture and then the doors opens, two mog guards walking inside at once. I stand up, noticing that they remove my handcuffs without hesitation. They must know that I would never try to escape without Stanley.

"Take our guest to her rooms," Setrakus tells the guards. "And release prisoner two to join her," he says. The mogs nod at once, apparently knowing exactly what he's talking about. Setrakus was so confident that I would agree to option two that he had everything all planned out. I feel sick yet relieved too.

"Oh, and Sophia?" just as I'm leaving, Setrakus calls my name. I turn back, dreading to hear whatever he has to say. He looks smug, pleased, and I wish that I could remove that look forever. I wish that I could kill him and end this war forever. As if he knows what I'm thinking, he grins wider.

"Don't mess up or fail," he councils me. "Otherwise the consequences will be severe for Stanley,"

And with that threat I'm dragged away from him.

Xxx

**Ella**

I'm locked away in a cage. Granted, it's a beautiful cage filled with everything I could want. I have a whole floor for my apartment with a bedroom, bathroom, dining room, my own library and training rooms for my legacies. Everything is decorated with the most expensive furnishings I've ever seen and everything I want or need is here. But it's still a cage.

It was first obvious when Cody and I were brought to the Justice Building the day the Games began. Once I was in my rooms the door was locked and I couldn't leave. I've been stuck in here ever since. There are bars on the windows so I can get as much fresh air as I would like but I cannot escape. Besides, even if I were to break the bars, something tells me that there is a force field around the building.

I've not seen many people since I got here. I know they have Sophia and Stanley locked away in the cells deep down in the ground and Marina is still in her own cell, a few levels higher than the other two's, but other than that I have no idea where Cody is. He must be here, I've seen him around a few times with a weird eye-patch, but I don't know where he's staying. Not that I want to. He's a traitor.

I'm scared. I'm scared for my life, for Stanley's and for Marina's. We're only kids, and the thought of playing the mogs terrifies me. I shakily brush my hair away from my face, my skin paler than normal. What can I do against the mogs? I'm just a little girl, and one with friends who can be used against her. I think of poor Marina, who's losing her mind down in her cell. Taking Joseph away from her was the worst thing the mogs could have to her and I don't know if she'll ever recover. I've never seen her so broken before and it scares me.

I draw my knees up to my chin and think of Crayton. I wonder if he misses me, wishes he were here to protect me. He was more of a father than my real father was, locked away in his basement. More of a parent than my real ones combined. Crayton would be fighting to protect me if he hadn't been dragged away by the other mentors. Yet, I'm glad. I don't want him to be hurt because of me. I close my eyes, imagining his face, and I feel warm tears roll down my cheeks. I miss him so much…I want him here with me. I want my Papa.

The mogs want me to join them. I don't know why, but they want me on their side. That's the only reason that I've been held in such nice rooms, eating the finest food and being treated like a princess. But it won't last forever. Soon the mogs will demand something of me and I don't know if I can agree. I know I said to Marina that I would play along, to avenge Joseph's death, but now that I'm away from her, I'm scared. I was never as brave as Marina, never as strong or clever. I'm only 13. What can I do?

The door opens and I open my eyes, hastily sitting up. I'm not surprised to see Setrakus Ra enter my room; he's been a few times to make sure that everything I could want is being delivered. But every time he comes, he still manages to terrify me. His height, his cruel face and his ability to know everything I'm thinking. I feel my knees beginning to shake and tears flood my eyes as he marches in, flanked by his guards. I want to be strong but I'm scared.

"Leave us," he snaps to his guards, who leave the room at once. I watch him nervously as he stands over my desk, picking up the Great Book. He wrote it himself before he came to Lorien and it's like a manual for the mogs. I've seen it everywhere. I've been told to read it but the first page made me sick and I couldn't bear to read more.

"What do you want?" my voice is squeakier than I want it to be but at least it didn't break. I lower my eyes, not wanting to see his terrifying face.

"You haven't read the Book?" his voice isn't angry, in fact, there doesn't seem to be any emotion in it at all. I shake my head mutely, wincing when I hear him sigh and drop it onto the desk.

"Shame," he remarks. "It contains aspects of your history that I would have thought you'd be interested in," It's so hard to tell if he's lying or not. I don't look up, keeping my eyes fixed on a pattern on the carpet. I hear him sigh and then he's kneeling in front of me, his hand tilting my head up.

"Look at me when I speak with you, child," he says, his voice stern. I wince, my eyes locked on his in terror. His hand is cold and I feel sick with him touching me. I move away from him, cringing when his eyes turn black with irritation, but then he sighs. He stands up, his anger apparently disappearing for the moment, and he walks away from me, settling down on one of the plush armchairs.

"I came to talk with you about your family history," he clears his throat. I look up, burning curiosity racing through me. My mother and father have barely spoken to me about my family, and I know they're ashamed of something. And besides, how does Setrakus know about my family?

"Yes…sir?" I whisper, noticing the smile on his face when I call him 'sir'. It's better to be on his good side, because then he won't hurt Marina, Stanley or Sophia. And the sooner he thinks I'm one of them, the sooner I can make them pay.

"The Fitzgeralds, your family, have been a very ancient and very powerful bloodline," Setrakus begins. I listen in fascination since I never knew that. I'm still terrified of him of course and I keep my rigid, curled-up position, but I listen to him curiously.

"Your family bloodline is indeed so powerful, that many of your ancestors were Elders," he says. I stare at him, shocked. I open my mouth to say something but I don't know what to say. Setrakus continues to talk, not even interested in my reaction.

"Of course not every ancestor had been an Elder, but your family had supplied more Elders than any other on Lorien," Setrakus says, a proud smile on his face. "This was the same when, in the 26th Century, only last Century, the next Elders were chosen," I frown, trying to keep a grip on everything.

"The last Elders?" I ask. He shoots me a look of annoyance at me interrupting him but he nods, apparently pleased that I'm listening to him.

"Yes, the last Elders of Lorien. The tenth Elder, whose role was Power, was selected from your family. He was your grandfather," he says. I raise my eyebrows in shock, thinking of my father who is far from powerful. His father was selected as an Elder?

"However, there were growing issues with the tenth role of the Elders," Setrakus continues, a scowl on his face. "Many believed that power was an unnecessary and corrupt role for the Loric, compared with the others of beauty, compassion and loyalty. The chosen Elder, Decimus, seemed to reinforce that idea," he frowns. "He was considered too powerful and too ambitious,"

"What happened?" Despite myself, I'm interested. I've never heard this story before but it's fascinating, especially because it's linked to my family, my ancestors. Besides, it might lead to more information about the Occupation.

"He was removed and thus the ten Elders became nine," he scowls. "Decimus was understandably enraged, and he went into hiding. Your family were ashamed that their family member had been the one to be removed and disappeared from the public eye," he says.

I think of my father who hides in his basement, of my mother who spends most of her days locked up with migraines. Were they different before my grandfather was shamed? Were they even married or knew each other when that happened? Suddenly, I want more than anything to talk with them, to have an ounce of affection that I never received from them. To try and understand my screwed-up family.

"Decimus disappeared to the planet Mogadore, where he found a mentor," Setrakus continues. "His legacies were honed, his strength drastically improved and he discovered a way to live a long, very long life. You see, he was an Aeternus,"

"What's that?" I ask, confused. Setrakus smiles, pleased that I'm paying attention and am interested in the story.

"A Loric with the ability to change ages, but only an age that they have lived. You yourself might possess that Legacy, despite how rare it is. It was common amongst your family, yet many do not know of it," I stare at him, shocked. I want to try out this legacy, see if I can become younger, but only when he's gone. I don't want to give him the satisfaction of proving him right, or to have something that he could use against me.

"When Decimus returned, 50 years after being removed, he wanted to take over Lorien, to avenge his destroyed honour. He burnt down cities, sent plagues across Lorien to attract the attention of the Head Elder, Pittacus Lore," There's a grim smile playing on his lips and I wonder how he manages to know so much. Maybe he knew this Decimus.

"The two met on Elder's Isle," Setrakus says softly. I shiver, barely aware of anything in the room. In my mind, I've been transported to a Lorien that is torn between warring Elders, when there was someone who was just as bad as Setrakus. My grandfather, Decimus, did this. The thought of being related to such a monster makes me feel sick.

"The battle lasted days. Both were gravely wounded but in the end, it was Pittacus that was killed, although popular belief says both men died," Setrakus smiles grimly. "That is not true. Decimus fled to Mogadore where he was healed of his terrible wounds, but in the process of healing, his appearance was gravely changed and his sufferings were terrible. He was mutilated, physically destroyed by the black magic necessary to save his life,"

I want to block him out, horrified by this story of my grandfather. No wonder my father is so ashamed, no wonder my mother hides away from the world. Maybe I look like my grandfather. Maybe they're scared of me being like him. Yet I feel a deep burning hatred towards this grandfather of mine who would try to destroy and rule Lorien. Without even knowing him, I hate him.

"And?" My tone is cold and Setrakus seems surprised. I don't know why. Would he expect me to sympathise with my grandfather?

"Decimus never forgave Lorien and Pittacus for the damage done to his honour and to himself," Setrakus says. "He was elected Leader of Mogadore, but the planet was dying after centuries of abuse. Paired with the need for resources and his desire for revenge, Decimus decided to attack Lorien and rule over it," I shake my head, a sudden feeling of dread creeping through me.

"Don't," I whisper. "Don't tell me anymore," Setrakus stands up and heads over to me, and I cower back, feeling sick. I shake my head frantically, wanting to block out the horror at my revelation.

"Without Pittacus Lore, the Elders were too weak and Lorien was unprepared. Decimus and his Mogadorians attacked Lorien fifteen years ago," Setrakus says triumphantly. "Under a new name, he and his people set up a rule over Lorien," he begins to laugh and I shake my head, trembling all over.

"No" I whisper weakly.

"He called himself Setrakus Ra," he laughs and I begin to sob, pressing my head into my hands. No, _no._ I feel bile at the back of my throat as I tremble all over and I want to block out the world. This monster is my grandfather. He killed thousands of innocents all for power. The thought makes me feel so sick that the bile escapes my throat and I throw up weakly on the floor. My grandfather jumps back, disgust on his face, but it can't echo the magnitude that I feel towards him.

"You monster!" I yell. He grins, but there's anger in his eyes. He bends down, taking my face between his two hands and his grip is too tight to escape. I struggle, feeling sick beneath his monstrous face but I'm caught in a trap.

"Together, granddaughter, you and I shall defeat the Resistance," he whispers, his foul breath making me feel dizzy. "Together, we shall rule Lorien,"

* * *

**Phew, that was a long chapter! Hope you all enjoyed! If Ella seems at all weak now, don't worry, she's not going to be weak or scared for long. **

**Please review!**


	40. Chapter 39 - Preparing for War

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love reading them all and I know I always say it but thank you so much!**

**I've got a busy Saturday tomorrow so I thought I would update now instead of making you wait until Sunday. **

**Answers to reviews:**

\- **Guest – **I completely understand what you mean about Maren being ooc. The reason I did it is because I think that it's easy to forget that she's been through a lot and I thought it might be necessary to remind people that she's suffering. Also, in this story, her planet is still alive and so is her family, so she's got something to lose. In LL, there's not so much to lose; she's more focused on revenge. But even though the situations are different, I do love her strength and determination, and that will definitely be coming out from now on. Glad you liked the second part; that's what her POV will mostly be like from now on!

\- Stanley will have a POV, but because his story is heavily linked with Sophia's, their two POVs will keep switching.

**So thank you all so much for the lovely reviews, I love hearing what you say. Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 39 – Preparing for War

**Adam**

The base is cooler than I imagined it to be, with loads of different levels and systems to keep the whole thing running. Every rebel has an ID and every ID has the information of which rooms they're allowed in. Everyone has their own timetable, job…it's so effectively organized that it makes the mogs look pathetic.

The downside to the base is that I'm not allowed to visit much of it at all. I've been restricted to Commandment, the cafeteria, the training rooms, my apartment and the armory, but even in these rooms I'm supposed to be watched. And even if I wanted to explore, the base is so heavily controlled and secured that it would be impossible. The Loric don't trust me, even though I killed my own brother to save Alicia and the mentors in the helicopter. They still don't trust me even after everything I went through with Hannah.

I've barely managed to even meet the other Garde. They don't really want to talk to me at the moment and I don't blame them; they have enough to deal with. Their friends have been captured and they're charged with starting a war for Lorien. Of course they don't want to speak with me, the mog traitor.

"So, this will be fun," Alicia drawls sarcastically, just like Hannah would have. "I'm basically going to be watching you fix wires together instead of watching the Elders blow cities up," she rolls her eyes.

"It's not my fault they assigned you as my guard," I point out as another soldier leads us down to the armory. Alicia, despite being a trusted Resistance member, is still new to the base and she doesn't know her way around. She has no idea where to go.

"Yeah, well, I'm still blaming you," she grins. I want to be fed up but it's more amusing than anything else. It reminds me of Hannah, and helps deal with the loss. Keeping busy and talking to Alicia makes me forget that Hannah is gone and isn't coming back.

"Here. Follow this corridor and then go through the doors," the guard unlocks the first door to the armory, watching me suspiciously. "If you need any help restraining him, you know what to do," he tells Alicia. She nods, looking serious, but I can see the playful glint in her eye. After I saved her and then told her the truth about her sister, there's been some sort of alliance between the two of us. It's like she's as protective over me as I am over her. Maybe because we know that Hannah loved us both and would want us to look out for each other.

We head down a small corridor and I can see the double doors to the armory at the end. I see numerous scanners, key codes and two guards; it's not going to be easy to get in. Alicia walks quietly next to me, her gun at her belt, and her face serious. I haven't seen her much since the meeting this morning and I don't know what to say to her about Hannah. She must still be grieving, hurting after everything. She hasn't had the time I've had to deal with everything, yet I'm still struggling. She must be finding it almost impossible to cope.

"Do you still hate me?" I ask her quietly. She looks at me slowly and then shakes her head.

"I did when I first met you," she whispers. "But then I didn't really know you…didn't know what had really happened," she bites her lip. Hope rises in me and for the first time, I don't feel like there's nothing left for me. Maybe Alicia has forgiven me, now that she knows the truth.

"Besides," she smiles wearily. "I could never hate someone my sister loved. And someone who loved her in return,"

Before I can reply, Alicia approaches the guards and begins the lengthy process of getting us into the armory. I watch her in a new light, after everything she just told me. She doesn't hate me and she might have actually forgiven me. Maybe we could be friends, honoring Hannah's final wish. The thought makes me so happy that I have a stupid grin on my face, even when the guards shoot me weird looks. Alicia gets us into the armory and then all thoughts of Hannah and Alicia are wiped away when I take in the room in front of me.

It's incredible_._ I can see on one wall doors with codes and names on that must lead to another and even larger arsenal, probably filled with the bombs and explosives. But in this room, it's the weapons for combat that amazes me. Crates of guns of every kind line the walls and there are stands filled with spears, pipe staffs, bows, swords…everything. I can see stations for practicing, targets and desks where engineers are making new weapons and hundreds and hundreds of more weapons that I've never even heard of.

"This could arm the whole of Lorien," I whisper to Alicia. She nods, looking shocked. Her handgun looks pathetic compared to this lot.

"That's the point," I turn at the dry voice, surprised to see Sandor, one of the mentors. He looks ragged; exhausted and worried, but a grim smile tugs at his lips. "We're planning on arming the whole of Lorien to beat back your lot," he nods at me. I roll my eyes, knowing I'm going to have to get used to the jokes.

"We're supposed to be meeting with Mentor Sandor," Alicia says, apparently not recognizing him. "Could you please lead us to him?" she asks politely. Sandor smirks, an eyebrow raised in amusement.

"You're talking to him," he replies dryly. Alicia flushes at once and opens her mouth to apologize but Sandor waves her off. "Don't worry, I usually look far better," he smirks. "I've had a lot to deal with," he leads us towards his station and I follow him, taking in his tired-looking suit, his slumped shoulders.

I think of his Garde, Stanley, locked away in the Capital. He's caused a hell of a lot of trouble and I know that he'll be the first on their hit list. I wouldn't be surprised if they're torturing him for the hell of it, just to make him pay. Sandor must realize this and I can't help but feel sorry for him; it must suck to know that someone you love is being tortured and there's nothing you can do. Especially when President Laws refuses to operate a rescue mission until it's necessary.

"Here," Sandor shows us his desk. It's huge and filled with papers strewn everywhere, random bits of tat thrown about. I can see a box of wires and mechanics nearby, with a nearby machine that must help him design. I can't wait to get started; I loved doing this at school.

"Our job is to design something special for the Garde, even those who are captive," Sandor explains, drawing up seats for Alicia and I. I know this isn't exactly what Alicia is fussed on but I can tell that even she is slightly intrigued by everything. I am really excited to get started, ideas running around my head already, but I have to be respectful. Sandor is in charge.

"I had an idea to make each weapon special, as in it could adapt to their legacies and would have other special properties," Sandor begins, a light in his eyes. It seems this is the only thing that has stopped him spiraling down in his worry. He pushes a few scribbled plans towards me and I look at them, trying to make sense of them.

"I was thinking that for Marina, a bow and arrow would be suitable. I was thinking of making some arrows incendiary, some explosive, so that the bow looks harmless but is as deadly as any bomb," I nod along, taking in the notes.

"That would be easy enough to conceal in an arrow and the enemy wouldn't even think of it," I say excitedly. Sandor nods, a grin on his face, and he eagerly shows me some other plans. I think this is the first time someone has fully appreciated his work. Alicia just looks at the both of us like we're crazy.

"And for Stanley, a pipe staff would be perfect for him," Sandor's voice chokes up a bit and I can see his face turn dark but he carries on. After all, we may be bonding over our love of creating things, but he still must hate me and my race. "I was thinking of adding a device so that whenever he threw it, it would always return to him," Sandor frowns. I nod, looking at the diagram.

"Maybe an incredibly strong magnet or some kind of electrical charge," I frown. "And you could have for one of the other weapons some kind of chemical that detects when mogs are around. In case there could be any hiding," I suggest. Sandor's face lights up and he grins, pleased.

"That would be a good idea in case of an ambush!" he nods. "Here, look at these. I'll be right back; I've got to get some more notes from my office," he walks off before I can reply and I can see his energy has returned, if only for a moment. It seems we all need a distraction.

"They're so lucky to have these weapons," Alicia studies the notes enviously. "And legacies," she scowls. "Hannah always had these incredible legacies and I was always so jealous because I had none. I was the stupid, plain, boring sister whilst she was this incredible girl who has turned out to be an Elder," she sighs, wincing when she sees my look of shock.

"I hate it when people looked at me like that. Just because I loved her, didn't mean I wasn't jealous," she defends herself. "Besides, I'd still give anything to have her back," she looks down at the table.

I stare at her surprised since I thought she had legacies too but then I've never seen her use any. I wonder what it must be like for her to be Hannah's sister. The youngest one, the one without legacies, the one who's not an Elder. Alicia's just like me; she's the sibling that will never be better. She's the one who never escaped their sibling's shadow.

"Yeah, I know what it's like to have a sibling who is so much better," I grin at her, trying to make her feel better. "It sucks," Alicia looks a little taken aback but then she smiles, as if she too is realizing how normal this conversation is.

"Looks like we have thing in common at last," she grins. "Maybe this will be the start of a beautiful friendship,"

I laugh. "It might just be,"

Xxx

**Marina**

I sit on my bed, shivering from the cold, and sick with loneliness. I haven't seen Ella since the day that they brought her to me in my cell. It must have been about a week ago. I have no idea if she's sticking to the plan like she said she would by playing along with them, doing what they want. I hope so. If we can learn anything useful that can be used against the mogs then that is only a good thing. They deserve to be tricked, played at their own game after everything they've put us through.

I'm still weighed down by grief, but I try to fight it now. Instead of lying in bed all day, I get up, eat the food given to me and wash myself with the hose in the corner of the room before spending the day honing my master legacy. It's not much but it's something. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of revenge; if I can fool the mogs too then I can avenge Joseph's death. Revenge fills me with an icy determination to make them pay. But once the revenge goes, all I'll have left is my grief and I'm sure that will make me mad. Joseph's loss just becomes worse every day; time does _not_ heal.

"Concentrate," I whisper furiously to myself before I can be dragged down by black grief. It's taken days to fight it and it's always there, waiting to bring me down and smother me. It will always be there but I have to turn it into my friend, my ally. If I can manifest my grief into anger, into revenge then I will be indestructible.

I close my eyes, focusing on my ice legacy. It's taking a long time to master even the easy task of heating up and then cooling down the temperature. But I think this must be my master legacy and I've heard that they are always the hardest legacies to control. I focus on the icy feeling in my veins, imagining the air becoming colder and colder. I feel the temperature start to drop, but too quickly. Freezing the air isn't hard; I just think of Joseph. It's warming everything back up that's the hard task and it takes a lot longer.

I feel the temperature drop some more and I begin to shiver, my skin coming out in goose bumps, so I start to focus on Ella. I think of her here, alive and well. The mogs won't harm her as long as she works with them, or pretends to at least. I think of us escaping here, being free together and drawing together like we used to so long ago. Like we wanted to once the first Games were over. The room warms up at once and when I open my eyes, there isn't any ice on the walls.

I smile, pleased with myself. I did it. That was the best I've done; sometimes I've been sat in a freezing room for hours, trying to warm it up. Sometimes I've had to sleep to relax myself, and calm the legacy that freezes everything. But today it worked. Maybe that means I'm getting better. I'm exhausted after hours of practice but it makes sleeping easier. It means that I can just drift off, instead of worrying about the inevitable nightmares that haunt me.

"And again," I coach myself, before I can get distracted. I take a deep breath and then the door bursts open. I jump up, my cuffs clanging against the wall but it's just a few mogs. It's not Cody. I don't think I can stand to look at him now, out of anger and shame.

The mogs don't look threatening and they march over, unlocking me from the bar along the wall. They attach the cuffs so that my hands are tied together again, behind my back. I can see a sheen of sweat on their forehead; they're scared of me, of what I can do. Word of what I did to Cody must have spread by now and all the mogs must be terrified. I lower the temperature just a little so that the cuffs are freezing against my skin and the air is colder. I notice the mogs wince. Good. If fear is the one hold I have, I might as use it as best I can.

"What's going on?" I ask as they pull me off the bed.

"We're to take you to meet our Beloved Leader," one whispers nervously. I nod and then swallow tersely as I see one pull out a blindfold out. I try not to panic as they tie it around my head but it's hard not to when I can't see anything. Everything turns black.

"This way," One grips my arm tightly and I stumble after him, wishing that I could at least have my arms free. I trip slightly but the mog tugs me painfully upright and I follow nervously, trying to concentrate.

It's hard work, following the darkness and I trip a few times, blushing when I hear their laughter. It's even harder with my hands tied behind my back but I carry on. I try to notice a difference whenever we leave a room, but everything feels cold and I can't feel a difference under my thin shoes. I'm dressed in jeans and a thin jumper, but it's not very warm and I start to shiver with fear and the cold. I wonder if that's the building or me.

"Climb," we stop and then I feel a step against my foot. I lift my foot nervously, moving forward to climb the step. I manage to get up and I reach out for the next one, but I must annoy the mogs with my slowness, because one grabs me and throws me over his shoulder. I'm winded by the action but then we're moving again, and much faster.

I'm bumped up and down against the mog's back, and I try to keep rigid because every movement winds me slightly. The grips on my arms are as tight as ever and I wince with every step. I can hear doors being unlocked, and I can sense that we're no longer climbing stairs, but heading down a corridor. I lose track of where we are and I try to keep calm, preparing myself for the meeting ahead.

I'm not sure what they want from me. Setrakus Ra can't possibly want me to work for them, not after everything that's happened. I clearly hate them, look what I did to Cody, and they must know that I'll never work for them willingly after Joseph died. But then, what do they want?

"Here," Another door is unlocked and then suddenly I'm dumped on the floor, the wind knocked out of me. I gasp for breath as the cuffs are tugged off my wrists and then the blindfold is removed.

I lie on the ground gasping, as I take in the room. It's a bare conference room, with a desk, maps on the walls and a long window. I struggle to my knees, rubbing my wrists that are sore after days of being locked in cuffs. I can see bruises forming on the skin but I'm lucky they're not bleeding. I stagger to my feet, cringing when I see Setrakus standing by the window.

He hasn't changed at all since my last meeting with him on the last day of the Victory Tour. Still as ugly, as cruel, as evil as ever. He smirks when he sees me, settling down on the grand chair behind the desk. I nervously stand there, feeling vulnerable. I'm aware of how unstable, how weak I must look with my lank hair and bruised battered body that is still recovering from the Games. And not to mention how sick I feel after everything that's happened.

"You may sit if you like," he indicates the chair opposite him. "I hear that you have not been eating all of your food. You must be weak," he says disapprovingly. I stagger over to the chair, noticing how shaky my knees feel. I'm scared, but at the same time, I have nothing to lose. They've taken everything away from me now; they can't control me.

"What do you want?" I ask, surprised by the clear hatred in my voice. If Setrakus is upset, he doesn't say anything. He simply leans back in his chair, crossing his hands on the desk.

"Your cooperation," he shrugs. "Can you remember our meeting, from all those months ago?" he asks pleasantly. I scowl bitterly, my fear evaporating. How dare he ask for my cooperation when he killed Joseph?

"You talked about me, how you weren't sure whose side I was on," I reply, remembering the meeting. I had been terrified, yet curious. He had been interested in me, intrigued by my apparent abilities. "Cody had told you that he wanted me to join you,"

Setrakus laughs. "Ah Cody," he grins, reaching for a glass of something red. "He showed so much promise yet failed to live up to it. He is a disappointment," he sighs, as if upset. "He won't remain long amongst us, especially after he was overpowered by you the other day," I flush, looking down at my hands.

"It wasn't his fault," I don't know why I'm defending him. Maybe because I still feel sorry for him, even after everything he's done. Maybe because I believe there's still hope for him.

"Yes it was," Setrakus says bluntly. "He allowed an injured, grieving girl to take out his eye. He has shamed himself and his mentors," he shakes his head. "He has paid dearly for it," I get the feeling that Cody has lost more than his eye but I don't ask. I don't want to know.

"We also talked about war," Setrakus continues. "How neither of us wanted a war in Lorien. Yet here we are," he shrugs, not looking worried. "You are a captive in the Capital whilst your friends are fighting for a Resistance group," he sighs. Anger races through me, icy and stronger than I would have thought.

"And another is lying in one of your morgues. After _you_ sent us back into the arena," I snap. Setrakus looks surprised for a moment and then his features smooth over.

"Ah, yes, Joseph," he shakes his head. "It's such a shame. He would have joined us I believe, if you had. He had such potential, especially with his legacies," He takes a sip from his drink, not looking at all upset. I want to hit him, to kill him and end everything now but I don't have a weapon and I know it would be futile. Setrakus is just too strong and I'm too weak.

"This war will kill thousands if not millions of citizens, Loric and Mogadorian alike," Setrakus drops all pleasantries and I shiver at the look of cold hatred in his eyes. "Cities will be burnt, villages will be destroyed and the planet will be torn apart in the battle for power" His face is filled with deadly intensity and I cringe against the back of my chair, really aware of just how defenceless I am.

"Your friends will ignite the people of Lorien," he stands up, heading to the window. "I am not so stupid as to think that they won't succeed in their mission to set Lorien alight with the fire of resistance," he turns away from me but I can still hear every word. "The Loric will rebel and the mogs will have no choice but to fight. Any day now open war will break out between the Mogadorians and the Loric,"

"Then what do you want with me?" I whisper. He turns to me with a smile and dread races through me. My hands are clammy and clutched together, and my heart pounds in my chest.

"You can be useful for me," he repeats. "Your friends will begin to unite Lorien. I want _you_ to stop that," he says. I snort despite myself, because he must know how stupid that is. He must know that I would never join him, not after everything he's done.

"I will _never_ join you, not after Joseph died," I say, my voice low and filled with hatred. I stand up, feeling more powerful than I have in days, and I can feel the temperature dropping. "You can do whatever you want to me, but I will never work against my people," Setrakus smiles, but his eyes are as cold as a snake's.

"I was afraid you'd say that," He smirks. "Which is why I was prepared," He heads over to the door and opens it.

Two mogs walk inside, dragging a body slumped between them both. Hector. He's bloody and gasping, covered in bruises and open wounds. They've tortured him. I cry out in horror, running for him, but it's like I slam into an invisible wall. I tumble to the ground, watching in horror as Hector is dropped to the floor, moaning from the pain. Tears pool in my eyes and I turn to Setrakus, acutely aware of the hold he has on me.

I crawl over to Hector cautiously, no invisible wall this time, and I wrap my arms around him. I thought he would be killed after what I did to Cody but this is even worse. He's suffered, been _tortured_ because of me. He clings to me, whispering my name weakly, and I feel a lump form in my throat.

"Please don't hurt him!" I plead. Setrakus smiles, enjoying his power.

"His welfare depends entirely on your actions," he replies.

"What do you mean?" I brush Hector's hair back, desperate to heal him, but I know that they will just hurt him all over again. Hector grips my hand and tries to say something but he's too weak. He can barely keep his eyes open.

"I mean, that if you refuse to help us, your stylist will feel the brunt of our anger," Setrakus says clearly. "Not a quick death, but a long, drawn-out one. His last days will be filled with agony," He grins when he sees the disgust on my face. "If you rebel against us, Hector will pay dearly,"

Tears slip down my cheeks and burning anger races through me. They knew I would refuse to join them yet they knew I would change my mind when I saw this. I press my cheek against Hector's hair, feeling his body shake against mine. I stroke his back, anger and hatred racing through me. If I have to join them I will for Hector's sake, but I will make them pay for this. It might take years, but I will make them pay for everything.

"You're a bastard, you know that?" I snarl, my own voice shocking me. Setrakus just laughs and then the mogs grab Hector, dragging him away from me. I fight back at once, trying to keep a hold of my stylist but they beat me back. They drag him out of the room and I turn to Setrakus, my heart pounding with fear.

"You promised!' I yell in panic. Oh god, what are they doing to him now? Setrakus just laughs and bends down so his face is my level. He grips my chin so I can't move away, as much as I want to.

"He will not be harmed. We are keeping him in custody to make sure that you keep your promise," he grins. I shake in fear and anger, and tears run down my cheeks in frustration. Setrakus wipes one away and then stands, ignoring my wince when he touches me.

"I believe we have a deal then," he walks away from me, a self-satisfied smile on his face. If only he knew just how much I hate him, how much I am planning to make him pay for this.

"Fine," I glare at him but he doesn't notice. He seems unaware of my burning desire to kill him. Good. I want him unprepared to make my vengeance all the more better.

"It seems we have a deal. Which is good, as we have a task for you already," Setrakus grins when he sees my face. "You have an interview to attend,"

Xxx

**John**

It's been two hours and we still have barely covered the Resistance headquarters. My feet are aching as we trudge around and my head hurts with a growing headache. What I want more than anything is to stop sightseeing and have a rest, come to terms with everything. It's been a busy week here in the headquarters and with the war about to start, I may not have a chance to sit down and think for a while.

We started off on the ground floor, where the hospital and Commandment is. I'm told that there's a floor below us, Minus One, which contains the armory and the bunker in case of a bomb attack. Adam and Alicia, Hannah's sister, were sent to the armory at once to start working on some weapons. The floors above the ground floor contain training rooms, the apartments of those in command, the cafeteria and some IT rooms for surveillance and communications. Then there are floors and floors of apartments for every citizen in the Resistance, as well as other rooms that I don't even know about. I know that a lot of the base is restricted for us and for normal rebels, so I bet that I haven't even seen the best parts. We're on the top floor now but it took so long to get here. We had to go through various levels of security; for some reason, this floor is restricted to only those who are authorized by President Laws.

"How much more have we got to see?" Maren is as tired as I am, whilst Joseph is as energetic as ever, as if every room that we visit fills him up with more energy. Our guard, Soldier Arnold, smiles when he sees our faces.

"We're almost done, Elder Four, um, John," he replies, correcting himself. I've noticed that it's a current theme to call us by numbers but I don't understand.

"Why do you keep doing that?" I ask not unkindly. "Calling us by numbers?" Joseph nods along, just as curious as me, but Maren doesn't seem bothered. Maybe whatever people call her doesn't bother her.

Soldier Arnold blushes slightly as he leads us down a corridor to our last destination. I can tell we're near the surface because there are little vents in the walls and I can smell the fresh air. I don't know how the oxygen system works in this base but I've been told that even if there were a bomb attack and the air vents were covered with rubble, we would be fine. Like I said, the place is an architectural genius.

"Well, you see, years before you were even called for the Games and came forward as Elders, we had heard about the prophecy of the ten who would save Lorien," I don't bother to tell him that we hardly came forward; Lorien chose us. "We named you Elders One, Two, Three…and so on corresponding with the roles that were in order," he explains. Maren nods, a thoughtful look on her face.

"So, Hannah was Elder One because she filled the first role on the list," I guess. "Beauty," Soldier Arnold nods, his face relieved that we're not angry with him.

"Yes, and you were Elder Four as your role was fourth on the list," he tells me. "And since you were sixth on the list, you were Elder Six," he tells Maren. Joseph nods, playing along with a light smile.

"And I was eighth so I was Elder Eight," he says light-heartedly. Soldier Arnold nods, a light blush still on his cheeks. He unlocks another door, leading to another corridor, but it's high security judging by the amount of scanners and locks that Arnold has to go through.

"It was easier to call you by that and when you finally came along, the names had stuck," he admits. I laugh, slightly bitterly, as we head to the door at the end of the corridor.

"It was too much effort to learn our names?" I raise an eyebrow. Arnold blushes again, pressing his hand to the fingerprint scanner by the door. Another scanner analyses his eyes and then he has to type in a long password on a keypad. Once that's done, he finally swipes his keycard and then the door swings open.

"Well, I don't mind being called Six," Maren announces. "I've dealt with enough shit as Maren. Maybe Six will have better luck," I raise an eyebrow not sure if she's being serious or playing along but it's hard to tell. I can understand the desire to have a fresh new start but a name change won't change a thing. Her family and friends are still in the Capital; she's still a rebel.

"I'll stick with Joseph, thanks," Joseph grins. "When the others come back, it'll confuse them if they have to call me Eight," he laughs. I nod, and we share a smile. Ever since we've been here, Joseph and I have bonded more. Part of it is because we have to share a room but most of it is our combined grief over losing the girls we love, even if our loss is slightly different. It's easier to cope when someone else is suffering and doesn't care when you go on and on about something.

We head down another tiny corridor and then there are some stairs leading up to the surface. I can smell the fresh air and see the sunlight and suddenly I'm desperate to be outside. I've never spent so much time cooped up inside without any fresh air.

"Up here," Arnold gestures. I head up immediately, almost running in my desire to be out in the fresh, free air. The stairs don't go on for very long and then there's a door that Arnold slowly unlocks, the same password, the same scanners. I burst out onto the surface, grinning when I feel the sunlight on my face. We're in a small enclosure, the whole area surrounded by barbed wire.

"Wow, this is beautiful," Joseph joins me on one side, and then Maren, or Six, is on my other side. I can't help but agree as I stare at the view in front of me.

Behind us, the mountains stretch high up in the sky, some peaks so tall that I can't see them. Others are capped by snow, and with the backdrop of stormy clouds, they look beautiful. Ahead of us stretches a large forest, the trees taller and fiercer-looking than the ones outside the Capital. To the side is the coast, and even though it's far away, I can see the sea, glinting in the sunlight.

"There's going to be a storm later," Arnold notes, heading away from the stairs. "We best hurry up," I follow him, noticing that we're walking in a small garden, with benches and small trees and plots of flowers. It's small but still beautiful and I can imagine some people hiding here for a while. It would be a great place to heal.

"Why isn't this open for everyone?" Maren asks as we head towards a group of buildings. Some are greenhouses, and I can see forms of people working in there, growing food for the rebels below the surface. They have a hard job; they must be Garde members with a legacy to help to do that work. Maren could probably help with her legacy of element manipulation.

"Because it's too dangerous," Arnold replies. "We have no idea if the mogs are aware of our base, but if they are, be sure that they will be developing fighter jets and hovercrafts to attack or to spy. If there's an attack, we cannot have a fully secure and effective safety operation when half of the base is above ground," he replies. It makes sense but I still feel sorry for those trapped below.

"Besides," he continues, leading us to the furthest away barn. I can smell something familiar but I can't seem to place it. "Most Loric love the structure, the organized layout of the base. They don't want to leave the safety of the base for a wander in the fresh air. Most are refugees from the warring cities or worse," he shrugs, a sad look on his face. "They appreciate being safe at last,"

"Makes sense," Maren has her eyes locked on the forest that's just beyond the barbed wire fence keeping us in the enclosure. "Still, _we're_ allowed to go out…right?" she looks at Arnold, worried. He shrugs, but there's a slightly suspicious look on his face. He unlocks the door of the barn and the smell is definitely stronger.

"If you have permission, yes," he agrees. "Here, your mentors said they would meet you here," he opens the doors to the barn. I barely have time to have a look at the dim lighting, the movement of weird creatures and then something throws itself at me.

I land on my back, as the beagle jumps up and down on my stomach, licking my face and neck. Joseph is laughing nearby as I wrestle with the dog to try and get it off, but it's surprisingly heavy for a dog. It continues to lick me, making a happy barking noise, as if it's been waiting for me. I laugh, a little shocked and try to stroke the crazy dog.

"A little help?" I plead with Maren/Six/whatever she wants to be called.

"But you look so cute," she teases me.

The beagle finally sits back, its tongue hanging out as it cheerfully watches me. I stroke its head as I sit up, my eyebrows shooting up as I watch more animals pour out of the barn. A cat, an owl, a hamster and bigger animals too. A tiger, a bear and a rhino. I don't even know why there's a rhino here, or why these animals would choose these forms.

"Well, I see BK got to know you quickly," I hear Henri laughing as he exits the barn. Kat follows with a wolf trotting next to her, which immediately heads for Maren. Joseph is laughing as a Labrador puppy bounds around him, apparently desperate for a play.

"What is going on?" I ask, standing up. BK, the beagle, jumps off me lightly but it's grinning up at me and I can't help but pet it. I feel close to the thing, even though I can't explain it.

"These are your chimaera," Reynolds, Joseph's mentor, explains. The Labrador is getting a lot of attention from Joseph now and Maren is getting to know her wolf, but both look up in surprise at that.

"We have chimaera?" I ask, staring down at the beagle in a new light.

"Yes, all Elders do. It's just a tradition that's stuck," Henri nods. "The chimaera choose the Loric," I shrug, petting BK again, feeling honored. I don't even know what BK stands for, and it's a weird name for a dog, but I still feel special to have been chosen.

_Thank you,_ I tell him, using my legacy of animal communication. BK barks happily, licking my hand.

_Don't let me down, _he replies but I can tell he's joking. I think.

"Wait, how can we talk to them? I don't have the legacy," Maren asks. Kat smiles, gently stroking the wolf that chose Maren. Joseph's dog is as hyper as ever and I wonder if he was chosen because of suiting personalities.

"Because they are _yours,_" she explains. "When Elders are chosen by Chimaera, they are able to speak to them. But only to their chimaera if they don't have the legacy," she says. Joseph nods, picking up his dog, who transforms into a wriggling puppy. It's pretty cute.

"Ok, but why now? Why are we getting them now?" I ask, knowing that if we're being bonded with our fighting chimaera then the Resistance and Laws want us to do something.

"Because the war is starting," Kat sighs. "The chimaera will assist you on some of your assignments. Not all of them…just the high-risk ones,"

So, a battle is coming and we need the chimaera to fight. I know they were pretty deadly in the battles against the mogs, but they've been kept in pens in the Capital to control them. They're too unpredictable for the mogs. But it seems they weren't able to capture them all and I'm glad.

"President Laws and her advisors, including us," Henri gestures to himself and the other two mentors. "Decided that the best way to fight this war was to unite Lorien," he says. I nod, and I can see Maren watching very carefully. Joseph tries to listen but he's got a wriggling puppy that refuses to sit still in his arms and I can tell he's distracted.

"In order to do this, each city must fight their own battle to overthrow the controlling mogs there. The mogs' army will be split up and sent to every city; their advantage of numbers will be severely weakened. They won't be able to fight one large battle, which they're good at. They'll have to fight small, continuous battles and that's not the style of fighting they prefer," Henri smiles grimly.

"The cities will be helped of course, by us, and by other cities that have defeated the mogs there," Kat continues. "It will be a long, unforgiving process, but it should work," she sighs. Maren scowls, her hand resting on her wolf's head. Both look deadly and ready for battle.

"And where do we come in?" she asks. Reynolds frowns, rubbing his forehead.

"President Laws wants you to unite Lorien with a series of television clips, or promos," he explains. "You'll be sent to cities, help with the fighting, keep up moral and it'll be filmed. It will be shown on national TV to show the cities that you are still fighting and that they are not alone," he adds. "It's a good idea,"

I frown, a little put off. "But how are we fighting when we return to this base after every shot. It's a farce," I protest. "We're acting like cowards," Kat shakes her head, her eyes hard.

"The mogs will try to kill you or capture you whatever the cost. You must stay safe. Sending you out to the cities is dangerous enough and the Loric know this. Seeing you fighting, if only for a short time, and keeping up moral will be far more effective than sending you out to battle and getting you killed," I shrug, knowing that she's right of course. These mentors know how to play games. It's their career.

"And you want us to shoot something now?" I ask. Henri nods, a scowl on his face.

"Laws wants the first promo after the Games to be hard-hitting and to boost moral. The Loric know that the Capital have some of the Victors as captives and Laws wants you to eliminate the concerns that's caused," he explains. "She wants to send you to Navaria, where it all began," Maren grins and I watch as the hackles on her wolf rise slightly. Both seem excited by the thought of battle, even though the chimaera won't be coming on this trip. It must be low-risk.

"Great," she grins. "When do we go?" Kat sighs, and I can see the fear in her eyes. I don't know how to feel so I bend down and rest my forehead against BK's, who licks my cheek gently. Already I feel dependent on him. Maybe because I lost Sarah and BK will temporarily fill that loss.

"You're off tomorrow,"

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**Hope you all enjoyed! The chimaera are finally here and I can't wait to start using them! Also, some action next chapter!**

**Please review!**


	41. Chapter 40 - The War begins

**Hi guys!**

**A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed and read this story! I really appreciate all of the support and the reviews, so a huge thank you to everyone!**

**Answers to reviews:**

\- **Marina will find out that Joseph is alive…eventually :P**

**So a huge thank you to everyone and please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 40 – The War Begins

**John**

"Remember, we'll be up in the air with ear pieces so you can always contact us whenever you need us," Henri reassures me as we wait on the take-off pad. I watch as attendants run around the hovercrafts, making sure the guns and bombs are secure and that everything is ready for the trip. The hangar is bustling with people, and I can tell everyone is nervous about this coming mission.

"It's not like we're even going to be in real danger from the sounds of it," I reply. Navaria is apparently all but destroyed, and the Loric seem to have won the battle for the city. But recently a regiment of scouts has been sent in and Navaria needs back up to keep their hold on the city. President Laws decided this was the perfect place to go to since it's nowhere near as dangerous as some of the other cities, like Baladh or Moridas, which are in full-out war. But the mentors don't want to put us in danger until it's necessary.

"Don't underestimate the Scouts," Henri adjusts my armour slightly. "The mogs are dedicated even when there isn't any hope left and the Scouts are ruthless. They won't give up without a fight," he warns me. I nod, knowing that he's right as always. He's gotten us this far; I should trust his judgement.

"Look, John," Henri bites his lip, looking more serious. "How are you holding up? I know it must be hard after Sarah died and-" he breaks off when he sees my face.

"I'm fine," I reply softly. "BK has been keeping me company. And you better go, your craft is ready," I nod towards the mentors' hovercraft and Henri sighs. He rests his hand on my shoulder, his face filled with everything he wants to say but then he shakes his head.

"I'll see you later," he says and then walks off towards his craft.

I know he didn't mean to open old wounds but the thought of Sarah is agony. I close my eyes, imaging her in front of me, her beautiful face smiling at me and reassuring me that everything will be ok. I want her to be here, more than anything, and wishing me luck for the coming mission. I open my eyes feeling cold and alone when it's just me in the hangar, waiting for the others to arrive. I'm alone again. And Sarah's gone. Even BK's mostly constant presence isn't enough to make me feel better. Especially because he's not allowed on this trip and is in the chimaera kennel above ground, probably desperate to be with me.

I sigh, rubbing my head and adjusting my armour. I've been dressed in the standard armour here; black trousers and jacket, with combat boots and thick leather over my heart and other vital organs. It's easy to move and run in, which is important when we're visiting a bombsite. I've got a gun strapped to my back and a dagger and short sword in my belt but I don't feel prepared. I just feel tired.

It's also hard to concentrate on fighting a war when the others are locked up in the Capital. Laws has told us that she won't get the others out until necessary but I know that Maren, Joseph and I are thinking of striking a bargain so that a rescue mission is on the cards. I can't bear the thought of the others locked up in there, and I'm not even as attached as Joseph and Maren. I have no idea how they're coping to be honest.

"Hey handsome," I grin when Joseph teleports in front of me. He seems happy now but I know that it's just a show. He tries to hide it in jokes, in playing around but it's easy to see the pain in his eyes.

"Not looking too bad yourself," I play along. His playfulness doesn't just help him cope; it helps me cope too. "Armour suits you," I laugh.

"Wow, should I leave you guys to it?" I turn at the sarcastic voice, seeing that Maren has arrived too. Like Joseph and I, she's wearing the same armour with the same weapons on her back. She looks nervous but determined and I remember that this is the first time we've done full combat. The Games are nothing compared to this; everything was a show, everything was a game. But this? This is real war and we're just soldiers.

"Yes please," Joseph winks at her. "You're ruining the moment,"

"You guys are idiots," she complains. I grin at her, pleased that she's smiling for once. At first she was so down when we got here, but her old determination is coming back more and more every day. Nothing keeps her down for long.

"It could be worse," I point out. "Stanley could be here," I joke. She laughs and then Soldier Arnold comes up, his face serious for the coming mission.

"Six, John, Joseph, we're ready when you are," he gestures to our craft and I can feel the nerves settle in my stomach. I take a deep breath, and I can see the nerves on the others' faces too.

"So, are you Six now?" Joseph asks as we follow Soldier Arnold to the craft. The door has been opened and it serves as a ramp up to the ship, where I can see the filming crew inside.

"I'm whatever people want to call me," Maren shrugs, tossing her hair away from her face.

"So I can call you sweetheart?" Joseph grins, using the nickname that Stanley used once or twice for Maren when she was in a good mood. Maren lunges out for him jokingly and I start to laugh, watching Joseph teleport away from her with his hands in the air.

"Guys, come on! We're Elders, we have to be responsible," I call out, grinning. I'm only joking but I don't want us to be late. "We have to set an example," Joseph and Maren stop, heading up the ramp to the ship, but Maren manages to elbow me on the way up. The filming crew watch as we take our seats, amused; I wonder if it's a relief for them to have kids that are playing about and aren't suffering from PTSD.

"Prepare for take-off," Soldier Arnold takes his seat, as the ramp closes and the craft is shut off. A metal seatbelt wraps around my waist and then the ship starts to whirr as it starts to take off. I feel more serious now as the gravity of the situation hits me. We're off to war and who knows what we could see? Who knows what we'll have to do?

I take a deep breath and shut my eyes as the ship flies off to Navaria.

Xxx

Navaria has been reduced to a city of ash and rubble. I step carefully around a pile of stones that used to be a shop but is now a pile of rock. I can see ruined buildings everywhere, some of the verge of collapsing whilst others are completely demolished. I can smell the whiff of smoke and burnt buildings, scorched things. I step carefully over the shattered remains of a house, wincing when I see a small broken doll in the rubble. I don't want to look any closer at the rubble but I'm sure there are bodies in there.

We were welcomed by Commander Lucinda, who was elected as the leader of the Loric resistance in Navaria when the Loric first starting rebelling. She's strong and fearless, but compassionate too. She seems tough and ready for a fight, so I can see why they elected her. She walks ahead of us, dressed in tattered armour, a bandage wrapped around her head, and a gun clasped in her hand.

"The hospital is this way," Commander Lucinda leads us towards the only standing building here a few blocks away, visible through the destruction. I follow her, aware of the same horror that I feel reflected on everyone's faces. Joseph looks pale under his tanned skin and Maren's jaw is clenched so tight I'm worried her teeth might shatter.

"What happened?" she asks. I think the filming crew are filming us to take in our horror, to show our condemnation at the state of this once-beautiful town. To show our anger and refusal to bow down to the mogs after what they did here.

"The mogs sent the bombs down after the arena fell," Lucinda replies. "I think it was because this is where it all originally started after Mort, and that is completely destroyed," she says. "It was supposed to be symbolic,"

I shake my head, tears in my eyes when I see a dead body trapped under piles of rubble. I hear the retching sound of someone throwing up behind me and I see one of the cameramen bending over on the ground. If I thought I was unprepared for this, then I was wrong. Being in the Games twice has given me thicker skin that I thought.

"Here," Lucinda leads us round a corner and we turn into what used to be a square. I can see a slightly battered-looking building in front of us, plastic covers used as windows and doors. I can hear noise from inside and I know this is their makeshift hospital. I steel myself, imaging the horrors that are waiting for us. From behind us, a group of medics rushes forwards in their white coats, clutching their kits. I watch as they disappear into the dark building, ready to help those who need it.

"It's going to be a tough job," Lucinda shakes her head, looking sad. "We were bombed only a few days ago and there are many who are seriously injured. There's not much we can do but put them all in the one place that still stands without risk of collapsing," she sighs. Maren looks over the building, her lips pursed.

"Isn't it dangerous keeping them all in that one building?" she asks. Lucinda raises an eyebrow, unsure of whether Maren is criticising her or not.

"It's the only thing we can do for the moment. If infection strikes, then so be it," she retorts. She leads us towards the hospital and I look around warily in case any mogs attack. We were sent here to fight them, weren't we? But I haven't seen any.

We enter the building and the stench of dead and dying people hits me at once. I shudder as we walk by rows and rows of corpses, covered in white sheets and then we pass under another plastic sheet into the real hospital. I try not to gag at the stench of illness, of disease, and I feel tears in my eyes when I hear the cries of injured people. I look at the rows and rows of beds, mattresses and simple sheets with hundreds of people lying on them.

There are kids, women, elderly people and soldiers all lying, all targeted by the bombs even if they weren't fighting. I pass a teenage girl, her stomach covered in blood, and her blonde hair reminds me painfully of Sarah's. I feel a flash of pain as I think of Sarah, but I try to push her out of my mind for now. I've got a job to do and no one wants to see me mourning for her, when they've all suffered so much themselves. I watch as the medics rush around, trying to heal those who need it most and I want to help, but Maren shakes her head.

"Don't," she whispers. "If you heal one, you have to heal them all. That will kill you," I know she's right but it's so hard not to help them.

But something does help them, maybe more than any medicine could. Our presence. First only a few people see us, but then our names are passing from bed to bed and people start pointing at us. I remember what Henri said, our presence would boost moral, and he's right. I can see people start to smile, to point at us in excitement. Joseph bends down and talks to a few kids nearby and even Maren gets in the spirit, replying to simple questions of whether we're all right, whether we're fighting.

The response is huge. The people start to crowd over, desperate to know whether they should still fight, what they should do. Until now, I'd never considered myself a true leader but when I see the rapt look on their faces when I talk, I realise that we're their symbol for change. This is why Sarah took on the plan and sacrificed herself for me, for Maren. She knew the impact we would have on these people. We started this, and they need our guidance. I can't back out now. And I can see that Maren and Joseph have realised that too as we pass from bed to bed, saying small reassurances, making small talk.

"Where are the others?" I hear someone shout and then the room goes silent. "Where are the other Victors?" I turn to Maren, wondering if she will say something but she looks lost, unsure of what to say.

"They're in the Capital," I reply and I can see them all hanging off everything I'm saying. "They were captured by the Capital when the arena went down. We have no idea if they're dead or not, if they're being tortured or made to join the mogs" I can't lie to them, not after everything they've been through.

"But we won't stop fighting. We will _never_ stop fighting," I say, my voice raising. "Our friends might be dead, but they died for a better Lorien. They are proof of what the mogs do. They kill, torture and destroy us but we will fight back!" I say. I see people start to nod and I carry on, feeling powerful. Only now do I realise how powerful we are.

"If we give up now, then we will have achieved nothing. All of this death for nothing," I gesture around me. "But we have a chance to change Lorien, a chance that may never happen again. We must honour those who have been killed or tortured or injured by the mogs and we _will_ be free!"

I hear someone start to clap and then everyone joins in. I blush, suddenly feeling shy, but Maren reaches out and takes my hand, looking proud. Joseph takes her hand and I realise how powerful this must be for the Loric here. The remaining three Elders linking hands to show that we've joined together and we will fight for our freedom. I notice the medics guiding Loric back to their beds and Lucinda continues to lead us around the hospital, but there's a definite change. The Loric are hopeful, determined and I can see the same desire to fight in them that I have. It might not have been the biggest or most hopeful of speeches but it worked.

We eventually leave the hospital and I feel drained; seeing all of those injured and dead people made me feel sick. But I feel determined to fight too, to avenge their death and their pain. To make their grief worth something. I can see the filming crew grinning and I know that they would have filmed every second in there. I hope Laws is happy. I hope that this promo will help mobilise Lorien.

_"_Back to the ship. Good work John," Henri says in my earpiece. "You and the others were more helpful than anything else could have been," I hadn't even been aware that he was there and I jump slightly when I hear his voice. It seems the others got the message too because we start to veer towards where the ship was.

"I thought we were fighting the mogs too?" I ask. Maren nods, looking angry, but Joseph just looks a bit shell-shocked. I wonder if he's thinking of Marina, how she would have tried to heal everyone there.

"We told you that to make you come, when your real purpose was to boost the moral in the hospital," Arnold sighs but continues to lead us towards the ship, which is a few blocks away. "The mog scouts aren't here, they've been chased back. Laws didn't want you in danger. You're too precious," he sighs. I scowl, my hands clenched in fists, Maren looking as angry as I feel next to me.

"That's bullshit, we can fight!" she protests. "As helpful as being in that hospital was, we can do more than deliver pep talks!" she snaps.

Lucinda leads us over another pile of rubble into a square just beyond the hospital when a rebel suddenly runs up, panic on his face. I see his clothes are wet with blood and I grab my gun, adrenalin racing through me. I hear more shouting and then someone screams.

"Commander! The mogs are back! They're-" he shouts and then the bullets rain down on us.

Xxx

**Stanley**

I stand in our new rooms, eyeing up the place, looking for anything that I could have overlooked. It's a pretty nice apartment, on first glances; bedroom, sitting area, bathroom…But after I went through everything to look for a weapon or a way to get out, something became pretty clear. This place is just a fancy prison. There are bars on the windows, and the glass itself is bulletproof. Everything is bolted to the floor and there aren't any ornaments to use as weapons. There are cameras everywhere, even in the bathroom, and there are bars with manacles attached in every room, in case we need to be restrained.

Sophia moans slightly, and I watch as she rolls over on the sofa, finally waking up. I drag a chair up and sit close to her, kind of like a guard dog. She had collapsed right into my arms the minute they brought her here to our new rooms but I don't think they hurt her. They better not have or they'll have me to face, and I'm just itching for an excuse to punch a mog. She sighs and then her eyes start to flutter open, as she wakes up.

"Hey," I smile when I see that she's awake, relief racing through me. She smiles weakly but I can see that she's occupied, thinking about something else. I decide to cheer her up.

"You know, you fainted straight into my arms. If you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes," I say. She sits up, rolling her eyes in annoyance but I can see the amusement on her face.

"If I wanted your attention I would have punched you in the face," she retorts. "Much more satisfying," I laugh, watching as she draws her knees up to her chin, a smirk on her face.

"You wouldn't dare hurt my pretty face," I pout. She rolls her eyes again, resting her chin on her knees.

"Wanna bet?" She challenges, her eyebrows raised.

"Well, we're sharing a bed so I guess I'll find out soon," I wink at her.

"What?!" she jumps up, heading for the door that leads to our room at once. I start to laugh as she peers into the bedroom, her eyebrows scrunched up in a frown. "Can't you sleep on the sofa?" she complains. I laugh again, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Hey, you're shorter, _you_ go on the sofa," I protest. "I need a comfortable place to sleep too," Sophia frowns, leaving the doorway, and she looks the most unhappy I've seen her since we got here. And it's all about sharing a bed.

"Aren't you supposed to be all gentlemanly and give up the bed for me?" she sighs. I grin, standing upright and heading to get her a drink.

"Can't we just share? We're in a prison, I'm sure we're going to be dealing with worse," I point out, passing her the water. She frowns, and then sighs, taking the glass. Her hands close around it and she suddenly looks vulnerable, almost scared. It's like the gravity of the situation hits us. We're in the Capital, captives of the mogs, and we have no idea whether our friends are dead or alive.

"I know I should have told you before the Games started. About the plan to get you out, about the Resistance," she frowns. "But I was sworn to secrecy and I couldn't tell you anything in the arena," she takes a drink from the glass as I look away from her.

I still feel betrayed that she was part of the Resistance, especially after everything the others and I have done. We've all proved that we could be members of this group, that we could even lead this war! Yet we weren't trusted with the truth for some reason and that hurts. The thought that not only Sandor, but Sophia would keep this from me hurts like hell, yet part of understands. I'm not known for being levelheaded; I'm more a kind of in-the-moment person whereas Sophia isn't. But it doesn't mean that it still doesn't hurt.

"Yeah, well, there's nothing we can do about it now," I shrug, moving away from her. Before I can go, she grabs my hand, and I feel a flash of warmth. I blush slightly, aware of just how close we are but Sophia starts talking, distracting me.

"I wasn't allowed to say anything in case _this_ happened," she stresses, her beautiful eyes filled with tears. "In case we were captured. You and the others were too important to be killed or tortured according to the mentors, whereas I was just expendable" she smiles sadly.

"You'll never be expendable to me," I whisper softly. She smiles, her cheeks reddening slightly, and then she moves away, ending the moment.

"I don't know anything about the Resistance; where they are, who's leading it," I don't know if she's saying this for my benefit or for the inevitable cameras that are all over this place. "I was just supposed to get you out of the arena. I failed that task. If not for Maren, we'd all be dead," she shakes her head in anger.

"It doesn't matter now," I say truthfully. "That's all in the past," I look around the room in confusion. "What I don't get is why we're in here? I would have thought we'd be tortured or dead after everything we've done," Sophia bites her lip, looking guilty and I go over to her, grabbing her arm tightly.

"What do you know?" I ask firmly but she shakes her head, more tears in her eyes. I shake her gently, needing to know. I can't be kept out of the loop any longer! "What do you know?" I demand. She winces and I let go of her arm, feeling cruel.

"I made a deal with the mogs," she whispers, looking sick. "They were going to torture you, kill you for everything that you had done on the Tour and in your Games," she sighs, rubbing her temples. "But they wanted to know what I knew about the Resistance and they wanted me on their side," I shake my head, anger racing through me.

"You should have let me be tortured!" I shout. "Better than them knowing about the Resistance! Better than them having you on their side! You'll be their poster girl, the Loric who works for the mogs!" I yell, punching the wall. My knuckles spilt at once and I wince from the pain. Sophia rushes over to help but I push her roughly away, furious.

"You would have done the same!" she shouts back, anger on her face. "You would never have let them hurt me or one of the others! So don't lecture me on what I should or shouldn't have done!" she yells. I wince, knowing she's right, as I gently wipe the blood away from my knuckles. It stings like hell but it helps me deal with my spinning mind.

"They're going to make you do stuff for them, terrible stuff," I whisper, my voice raw. "All so you could save me? Why?" Sophia laughs bitterly, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, as if she can defend herself. My anger disappears seeing her so vulnerable and because she's right. I would have done exactly the same thing if I were in her situation.

"You know why," she whispers. I shake my head, rubbing my face wearily. This is all so screwed up…this is not what I was expecting to happen at all.

"Please don't do this," I whisper. "Please. I don't care if they torture me or kill me for the Resistance. Just don't be one of them…don't work for them," Sophia shakes her head, tears in her eyes, and a few escape.

"You know I can't," she sighs. "It's too late to change anything. What's done is done," I shake my head, running a hand through my hair in agitation.

"Don't fulfill the tasks! Break your promise! Then you won't be tied to them!" I plead with her. She shakes her head, determination on her face.

"And then they'll torture you! I couldn't bear that Stanley, I really couldn't!" she yells. "I've lost everything! My family, my home, Marcus! I can't lose you too!" she yells.

I want to shout at her, scream at her in anger but I force myself to calm down. I think of my own parents, who could be suffering at the hands of the mogs because of me. Are they locked up too? I would have made the same deal to protect them, to protect her…I can't blame Sophia for doing the same for me.

"I understand why you did it," I finally say softly. "I don't like it, I would rather be tortured then you be one of them, but I know why you did it," I sigh. The mogs are good; they know our weak points, they know how to make us join them.

"Just…just promise me, no matter what I do…you won't hate me?" she looks down at the ground and sympathy surges through me. She's as trapped as I am and is just trying to protect me. And here I am shouting at her, instead of trying to help her.

"Hey," I walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her. She jumps a little in shock but then wraps her arms around me too. A strange, conflicting happiness rises in me and I close my eyes, resting my head on her hair. "I could never hate you. Never,"

Xxx

**Ella**

I stare down at the Great Book, wishing that I had the legacy of Lumen so I could burn the piece of trash. I wanted to read up on what Setrakus had been telling me about concerning my family, but the information was identical to the story I was told. I can't tell if it's real or if it's just Setrakus sick idea of propaganda. In any case, it's had the opposite effect he wanted; I can't stand to even look at him.

The thought of him being my grandfather makes me feel sick. Knowing that my own relative authorized the occupation of Lorien, the Games and now all of this makes me feel disgusted. Knowing that Marina, who I consider to be my sister, is locked away in a cell, maybe dying, makes me want to kill him myself. If there's one thing I've learnt, it's that blood does _not_ make someone your family. He will _never_ be family to me. Never. I would _never_ do anything for the piece of trash that is my grandfather.

It might have only been just about a week since we've been in here but it feels like a lifetime. I wish I could find out how the others are doing. I've heard that Stanley and Sophia have been locked away together and I hope that they are looking out for each other. The thought of Stanley being hurt makes tears pool in my eyes and I try to blink them away. But I can't help but think of the memories of him teaching me how to throw a punch, letting me ride on his back as he walked across ceilings and up walls. His gross jokes to cheer me up, when I thought they were all going to die. He had protected me, been there for me like a brother. He better not be hurt.

I hear the sound of a door unlocking and I hastily wipe away some tears, not wanting Setrakus or one of his men to see me crying. I don't want them to see my weakness for my family, even though they must know it. I sit up straight, pushing the book onto the floor so they know my disgust for it. The door opens and Setrakus marches through, Cody trailing him. Setrakus is as monstrous and terrifying as ever, and today he's holding a golden staff, an eagle on the end of it. The red eye of the eagle seems to bore into me and I tear my eyes away from it.

Cody looks a mess. His uniform is rumpled and his hair has grown out of its buzz cut and is a greasy mop on his head. But it's the eye patch that covers the empty socket that really hits me. I remember the freezing cold of Marina's legacy when I visited her and I can only imagine what she managed to do to take out his eye. I know I should feel scared, disturbed but I feel nothing but pride. Cody deserved it.

"You shouldn't treat the Great Book like that!" Cody looks horrified when he sees the pile of trash on the floor. "It contains your past, our future!" I shrug and then kick it, so it slides over the floor and slams against the wall, some pages folded and crumpled. Cody turns white but Setrakus just laughs, looking amused.

"You see that Cody? It's called spirit," he snorts. "Something that you don't possess," Cody blushes in shame and looks down. I can't help but feel a little sorry for him at that dig but then I remember Joseph. He's dead because of this traitor and his 'beloved leader'. I shouldn't feel anything for him but hatred.

"What do you want?" I snap. "I'm not converting, even after your bedtime story yesterday," I try to emulate Stanley when I talk but inside I'm cowering away from Setrakus. He still manages to terrify me, even though it's obvious he doesn't want to hurt me.

"I didn't expect you to," Setrakus takes a seat but Cody remains standing. He's looking up again, his one eye fixed on me curiously, as if I'm different. I must be. I'm no longer the 11 year old that hid with Marina in the trees in Round 1 just over a year ago, as much as I'd like to be again. This time, I will be the one protecting her if I get my way.

"I came to speak to you about your legacies," he says calmly. "You have telekinesis and telepathy if I'm not correct. You also have Aeternus," he points out. "I know that you succeeded in trying last night,"

I blush to the roots, mentally kicking myself. I had been curious to try out this rare legacy once Setrakus had left and it had been so easy. Part of me hadn't believed him when he said I'd have the legacy but he was right. I had just imagined myself as younger, not just wishing but picturing myself as I was when I was five. And then I'd felt myself shrinking, losing weight and then there was five year old me standing in front of the mirror. It hadn't even been much effort. It had been so easy to change ages, as if it was instinct. As if it was natural.

"It was easy," I whisper despite myself. "It hadn't taken any effort…unlike the other legacies," Setrakus nods, a pleased light in his eyes. Cody watches me, his one eye narrowed and I think I can see jealousy on his face. Because now I'm the star would-be traitor and he's not.

"Of course it was," Setrakus smiles. "Aeternus doesn't need honing like the other legacies. It's less of a legacy, more of a natural talent so to speak. It was always there, always ready to be used," he explains. "Besides, you're stronger than you look, even for your age. It's your family blood, you see,"

I wince, anger racing through me. "It's got nothing to do with my family!" I snap. Cody opens his mouth to argue but then stops, as if he's being controlled. He looks down at the ground again and then I see Setrakus lower his hand ever so slightly. Did he just do something to Cody?

It all makes sense all of a sudden. I feel stupid for not having seen it earlier, for not having realized. Because Setrakus is Loric, he must have legacies. I hadn't even thought about it before now but it's so obvious. That's how he's able to control the mogs so easily. With telekinesis and who-knows what other legacies, the mogs must see him as a god. And he's clearly far more powerful than Cody ever will be. I try not to let this discovery show and fortunately Setrakus continues talking.

"Nevertheless, it's impressive that you have two powerful legacies at such an age," Setrakus continues. "I would imagine that you will get some strong and powerful legacies later on in life too," he smiles. Cody winces and I try not to show my curiosity. I've always wanted to know what my legacies are, always wanted them to develop at once. But I won't let Setrakus know that.

"My other ones won't develop for a few years," I say, trying to appear strong. "After all, I'm only 13 and legacies develop as I continue to age. You'll have to wait until I'm 21 to know all of my legacies," I smile triumphantly. "I don't think you have that much time" I grin. Setrakus laughs, almost amused, but I can see a glint of annoyance in his eyes.

"Most Garde develop their legacies before 21," Setrakus points out. "Your friend, Maren Elizabeth, has appeared to develop all of hers. Invisibility and element control are two extremely powerful legacies. And indeed, Marina has just recently developed her master legacy and she has just turned 19. Cody was able to experience the brunt of it," he laughs.

Cody winces, his teeth bared slightly. "I'll make her pay," he vows. "I'll make her suffer when I get mine," Panic races through me but Setrakus answers before I can, his voice derisive.

"Your threats are empty until you develop your legacies," he snorts. "And even then, I believe that she could take you on. I would rather Marina join our ranks and you lose both eyes then you stay with us," Cody winces and I feel the tiniest bit of sympathy again. But only a little bit. Most of all I'm relieved that Setrakus can see the worth in Marina, that he won't let anyone hurt her for now.

"So you see, it seems that I do not have to wait until 21 for your legacies," Setrakus smiles. "And when they do come, you'll be so powerful, so deadly. Your legacies will help me rule the world, the universe," he has a slightly crazy look on his face. Cody frowns, confused as I am. Does Setrakus not realize that the war will destroy both races before I turn at least 16?

"But the war is going on," Cody points out. "It won't last for a year, let alone the five you need for Ella to turn at least eighteen. And even then it's not certain that she'll have them all by then," he says. Setrakus stands, his staff clutched in his hand. My stomach churns when I see the look on his face and I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.

"You're right for once," Setrakus sighs, as if deeply sad. "Which means I must speed up the process,"

He points his staff at me and instinct makes me react before I have time to think. I manage to jump out of the way before the first red bolt of energy leaves the red eye of the eagle, hitting the wall behind me. Using Setrakus' momentary surprise, I get to my feet, running into my bedroom and slamming the door behind me. I lock it, my hands shaking badly, and my heart pounding. Using telekinesis I drag objects against the door; bed, bookcase, desk…everything. I feel sick as I haul the furniture up, stacking it against the door. My heart pounds with panic.

"You can't stay in there forever," Setrakus calls from outside. I turn to the window, panic racing through me when I see the bars. I can't escape. I'm stuck in here. And Setrakus is going to do something terrible to me; I can feel it.

There's a sudden explosion and I go flying through the air, hitting the wall above my bed. I land on the soft mattress, looking through half-closed eyes as Setrakus strides into the room. Cody trails him, his face white and panicked. I try to get up, to escape the room again, but I feel winded and dazed after the explosion. I cower on the bed as Setrakus points his staff at me again.

"I'm sorry granddaughter," he says regretfully. "But I need your legacies,"

The red bolt of energy flies out and hits me before I can move. It's like I'm on fire. My body feels like it's burning and pain races through me, stronger than any pain I've felt before. I start to scream, thrashing around to get the red fire off me, but the energy seeps _into_ my skin. The burning feeling increases and I hunch up into a ball, as if to escape the pain. I hear Cody shouting, and then there is a pair of hands on me, as if trying to help. I scream again, and then I start to change.

I feel my body start to grow and the person jumps away from me. My arms start to lengthen, like the Aeternus made my arms shorten yesterday, but today it's in reverse. My hair grows, past my shoulders, and I can feel my body changing, growing older. I'm still in pain, sobbing now, and I watch in horror as the clothes that perfectly fit a 13-year-old start to tighten on me, and the seams rip slightly. The pain overwhelms me and I hunch down in a ball, trying to escape the agony.

The pain eventually stops and I'm curled up in a ball, shaking. I hear whispering, and then a gentle hand on my back. I look up blearily to see Cody, his face filled with horror and sympathy. Am I covered in burns? Am I a monster like Setrakus? I sit up slowly, feeling like my body has been beaten up all over and I slowly slide off the bed. I ache all over and I whimper a little from the pain. I hear Cody shouting at Setrakus but I block it out, heading over to the mirror. I stand in front of it, barely taking in the reflection. It's like it won't sink in.

What used to be a 13-year-old's reflection has changed. My facial features are still the same; I'm not monstrous looking like Setrakus thankfully, but I'm older. My hair has grown longer and I've grown taller, my body filling out more to look like a woman's and not a little girl's. My face is mature, sharper, and under other circumstances I would almost be pleased at how I look. But I'm supposed to be 13. I'm just a little girl.

Yet the 17-year-old girl's reflection in the mirror disagrees.

* * *

**Ok, so I know it seems out of the blue, but I needed Ella to age for her legacies for later storylines. However, it doesn't really change much at all and she still has Aeternus, so she can still be 13.**

**Also, I know I said there would be action, but I got it wrong and it's next chapter that ail have the action. Sorry :/**

**Hope you enjoyed and please review!**


	42. Chapter 41 - First Attacks

**Hi guys!**

**A huge thank you for all of the lovely reviews! I love reading them as always and just a huge thanks! I couldn't do this all without you and your support!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **I understand Ella aging was weird, but it means she'll get all her legacies and be a big player. She will get the legacies in the series: telepathy, Dreynen and Aeternus as well as one or two others. But they won't be immediately obvious and one is going to be a secret for a while.**

\- **Setrakus has an idea about telepathy but he doesn't know just how powerful Ella is.**

\- **I will try and update my drabble story soon, I've just had a lot of essays at the moment. Fortunately I'd written most of this chapter a while ago so it was easy to update.**

\- **Four and Six are getting together – it's just going to take some time.**

\- **Guest – Oooh I like those songs. I also think Radioactive and Warriors by Imagine Dragons fits Lorien Legacies really well too!**

**Hope you all enjoy and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 41 – First Attacks

**Maren**

"Get down!" John grabs me immediately and drags me behind a small pile of rocks as bullets rain down onto the spot where I was just moments ago. I sit there gasping, my hands scrabbling for my gun, as I try to make sense of the chaos.

Bullets rain down around us, the gunshots ringing around the small square. I hear screaming and shouting, and then returning gunfire from the rebel Loric who are stationed around the square. I watch as Commander Lucinda runs back to the hospital, to mobilise troops to protect those who are trapped inside and to fight back against the mog Scouts. I look around, trying to find the mogs, but it's chaos with the bullets everywhere. John and I are right in the middle of the square, barely protected by the pile of rocks around us.

Joseph teleports next to us, grabs our arms, and then teleports us away. We cower in a small doorway, watching as our filming crew scatter for safety, whilst the few guards with us fight back. I look around, desperate to find out where the attacks are coming from when I see some mogs up on the roof opposite us. They have guns set up and are aiming at the square, where I was a few seconds ago.

"There!" I point to the two boys. "They're up there!" Joseph's eyes narrow in concentration and John grins, a wild, angry smile. He wants to fight back too.

"Maren! We're landing the ship two blocks away. Soldier Arnold will take you and the others there at once!" Katarina orders in my ear.

Normally I would listen to her, obey her, but I watch as the mogs continue to shoot down on the Loric. A bullet hits one of the rebels and he falls to the ground, dead. Anger curdles in me, so strong and fierce that it shocks me. How can I run when there are innocent Loric dying to protect those in the hospital? How can I escape when they need me here? Besides, I have to fight back. The mogs deserve to pay and I want to be the one to do it. I want to take my revenge.

"Sorry Kat, not today," I reply and then I rip the earpiece out of my ear. I smash it beneath my boot before I can change my mind and I grab my gun, preparing for a fight. I feel a grim sort of happiness when I see John and Joseph doing the same, encouraged by me.

"There are some up on the roof above us too," Joseph points to the bullets raining down from above our heads. "We have to target both roofs!" he yells. I nod, thinking hard, and then I get an idea.

"You and John teleport to the opposite roof and deal with the mogs there," I shout over the gunfire. My ears are burning and I know we won't have much time left. Soldier Arnold is trying to make his way over to us but he has to keep ducking for fire. I watch as more and more rebels die in front of my eyes and I know we have to act soon.

"You can't deal with the mogs yourself!" John grabs my arm. "It's too dangerous!" I shake him off, but not unkindly. I fix him with a reassuring smile, adrenalin racing through me. I feel alive, almost excited. I can't wait to start making the mogs pay.

"Yes I can," I say determined. Before they can reply, I turn and race inside the building, leaving them behind. I just hope they do what I told them to do.

I find the stairs at once, but they're unstable and crumbling. I grab the rail, sweating in the humidity, my mouth tasting the ash and dust that is everywhere. I run up the stairs, wincing when some crumble under my feet, but I keep going. I can see the cracks in the steps, in the walls, and I know the building is unstable. Sweat runs down the back of my neck, and my breath comes in gasps, but I feel alive. I can make the mogs pay for what is happening to my family. I can kill mogs without having to hold back because of Gamemakers.

I run up a bend in the stairs, panting from the exercise, when a mog rounds the corner, a knife in his hand. He lashes out for me at once, clearly practiced at killing, but I'm better after years of Kat's training. I duck, my fist lashing out and punching him in the ribs. He staggers back, gasping with pain, and I grab his knife arm, snapping the wrist easily. He screams, trying to run but I flip him around and smash him into a wall. Dazed, he poses no threat at all, and can't put up a fight. I shove him down the stairs, watching as he rolls down, finally exploding into dust when his head whacks against the wall.

I continue running, a grin on my face. My first Scout kill. It felt better than I thought it would, knowing what they've done to all the Loric here. I can tell I'm near the roof when the gunshot noises get louder and I slow down, preparing for a real fight. I'll be outnumbered but I have invisibility. They don't have to see where I am. I turn invisible, and reach the top of the stairs.

What used to be a doorway onto the roof is now just an empty arch; the mogs ripped the door out. I can see about six mogs on the roof, guns in hand and aiming for those below. I grab my gun, inching out silently onto the roof, and aiming for the mogs. It's harder when I can't see my own body but I have to hope that I'm a good shot. I aim for the mog closest to me and then shoot.

It hits his head and he explodes into ash at once, not even making a noise thanks to the silencer on the gun. Besides, it would be hard to hear anyway over the gunshots and screams. I sigh in relief when I see that the others don't even notice over the gunfire and I inch further out, aiming for the next one. I can see on the roof opposite the damage that John and Joseph are doing. Unlike me they're visible but they have strength in numbers. I ignore them for the time being and aim for the next mog.

My aim is sloppy on this one and only hits his shoulder. The mog falls to the ground with a scream and the mogs turn at once, watching as their comrade clutches his shoulder. I aim for him again, my hands shaking in desperation, and then shoot again. The mog explodes to ash but I revealed my presence by shooting. The mogs start shooting at me before I can react.

A bullet hits my arm and I cry out, leaping away, but I can't hide the blood oozing from my wound. I swear, ducking behind a pile of rubble on the roof, reloading my gun. My back is pressed against the rock and I can't see what the mogs are doing, but I know they'll be coming for me. I'm the bigger threat. I turn visible knowing that I'll have better aim when I can see where my gun is aiming, but it's riskier. I take a breath and then breaking cover, aim for the first mog I see. My bullet hits him right between the eyes and then I leap for cover, barely escaping the next round of bullets. At least I've managed to distract the last three remaining mogs from the rebels on the ground.

"I'd stop if I were you," one of the mogs laughs. I can hear them approaching and I only have two bullets left. The rebels didn't give me a good enough gun; they didn't think I'd need one at all. "You're outnumbered and injured,"

Yes, I'm injured, my arm is on fire and I can see the blood loss is starting to get worse. But I have something they don't have: vengeance. They have destroyed my planet and my people and made my life hell. They stole my family and could be torturing them as we speak. I have nothing to lose.

Besides, who needs a gun when you legacies?

I jump out and before the mogs can shoot at me, I shove them away with a blast of telekinesis. There's a trail of my blood on the dusty roof but I ignore it as I shoot one of the mogs dead. Two to go. I use my last bullet on one mog but it only hits his shoulder as he manages to dodge out of the way. Bastard. I concentrate on a nearby rock, lifting it with telekinesis and slamming it onto his skull. He explodes into ash before I can lift the rock again.

"Stop!" the last mog commands, his gun aimed for me. I know that I can stop the bullet if I want but I'll have to be quick. I could also turn invisible but again, I'd have to be quick. Or I could trick the mog.

I raise my hands up in a semblance of defeat and he grins, moving closer. I can see the glint of handcuffs on his belt and I bet he has orders to take any prominent Loric rebel back to the Capital. I wonder how much of a promotion he'll get if he takes me back.

Only, he's not going to be alive to do that.

He moves closer and I tense my muscles, preparing to attack him. I could snap his neck with telekinesis but where's the fun in that? I take a deep breath and he's almost in front of me, almost there, when- He suddenly freezes and then explodes to ash, and I start in confusion. I didn't even do anything. But then the ash clears, revealing John and Joseph behind him. John has his gun raised, a grim smile on his face.

"I totally had it," I complain, wincing as Joseph teleports them over and John inspects my arm wound. "You stole my thunder," John rolls his eyes, laying his hand on my arm.

"You know, you could just say thank you," he retorts. I can feel the icy feeling of his healing legacy racing through me, and it hurts at first but soon it starts to clear up. I smile in relief, the pain disappearing.

I open my mouth to reply when I hear the droning sound of hovercraft. Great. I bet the mentors are going to give us hell for removing our earpieces and taking the mogs on. I look up, the sunlight glinting off the craft. I shield my face with my hand and as the other two peer closer.

"That's not our craft," Joseph frowns and then the roof explodes as the bullets rain down on us. Joseph grabs our hands and teleports us away, seconds before we're killed.

"The Capital!" John scowls, hunched in the doorway that Joseph took us to. "They must have a few spare crafts nearby!"

This time we're helpless. We're out of ammo and I don't know how to use my bare hands to defeat a mog hovercraft. The guns on it are much stronger and there aren't enough rebels here to fight both a craft and more potential mog soldiers. The Loric rebels have managed to get machine guns up and running on nearby roofs but it doesn't do anything against the craft. Unless…

"I could create a storm to destroy it!" I yell over the sound of the bullet fire. I watch as the craft begins to circle around the hospital. It's aiming for the building. The Capital wants to make the people here pay for rebelling. I can't let that happen. John tries to say something but before he can reply, I run out into the square and raise my hands.

Creating a storm isn't easy but I can do it. I focus on all the grey clouds, imaging the build up of thunderclouds. My legacy comes to life at once, almost eager, and I can feel the surge of energy racing through me. It builds up and up and I watch as nature starts to respond. I can hear the rumble of lightning and I feel the wind picking up, tearing at my hair. Rain starts to fall from the sky, icy and strong against my skin. I build the energy up and up and up, and then I release the energy with a cry of pain. I fall to my knees, feeling drained and gasping for breath. I used too much energy.

I watch blearily as the clouds start to thicken above me, lightning flashing in the purple depths. The hovercraft is buffeted around, the rain pelting down on it and us and I can only just see the pilot wrestling with the craft. The wind picks up even more, the rain as hard as knives against the craft and the buildings. It's so cold, cold enough to freeze the engines. I sit on the ground, shivering as I watch the flash of lightning hit the craft. The wind is almost like a hurricane and dust and ash swirls around the air, blinding me and throwing the craft around. The craft is about to crash but then the bottom opens up and the bombs fall.

I hear someone scream something. I think it's a name.

There's an exploding noise and I'm thrown through the air, landing painfully on my side. I lie on the ground, gasping, the hospital collapsing into rubble in seconds. It's gone in seconds, destroyed completely by the force of the bombs. I watch in horror as what's left of the building starts to burn, the pile of rubble turning into flames. There are women, children, elderly people in there. And now they're all going to die, if they're not dead already.

"No," I stand weakly, running for the hospital, but I stumble to my knees. Someone is suddenly next to me. "We have to help them!" I yell. John shakes his head sadly, tears in his eyes, as he helps me stand. I can see more rebels appearing from wherever they were shooting or hiding, shock and horror on their faces as they take in the hospital. The craft crashes nearby into another building but no one cares.

"They're all going to be dead," I whisper in horror. John shakes his head again, his arms tight around me to keep me upright. Loric rebels stand outside the hospital, not even trying to rescue anyone. They know it's a lost cause. Commander Lucinda falls to her knees, looking shell-shocked. Soldier Arnold marches forwards, furious that I broke his orders, but I don't care. We failed the people here.

"Back to the aircraft, now!" he yells. I nod wearily, John's arm tight around my waist to support me. Joseph looks stunned, and then the filming crew suddenly reappear, now that the danger is over. I can't help but despise them for that, even though this isn't their fault. My grief is starting to turn to anger at what happened and I could kill any mog that stands in front of me right now.

I move away from John, fully taking in the horror of the burning building, the people trapped inside. The injured people who needed medicine, who weren't even fighting are now dead. The Capital did this. They need to pay. The people need to know what the Capital is capable of.

"I have a message for the Loric," I say, staring right into the camera that has been filming everything. My grief is suddenly replaced by anger, such a burning anger at what has happened. Who authorises a hospital to be burnt for the hell of it? Who the hell do the mogs think they are to kill and hurt like this!

"Behind me, is what remains of a hospital filled with unarmed men, women and children! It was bombed by a Capital hovercraft and there will be no survivors!" I gesture behind me, growing angrier with every word.

"The Capital has said that they will not harm those who surrender. But they are lying!" I say angrily. "_This_ is what the Capital do to those who stand against them! _This_ is what they do to those who don't follow them blindly! If you think for one minute that the Capital will _ever_ treat you fairly if you surrender then you are wrong!" I stare at the camera, my anger intensifying.

"And I have a message for Setrakus Ra," I imagine he's in front of me, right now, and my anger is so intense I feel like I'm on fire, like I was the night of the parade. "You may have my family, you may be torturing them or hurting them, but I will _never_ give up! And neither will the Loric. Do you see that?" I point to the fire behind me. "Fire is catching," I stride closer to the camera, needing him to hear every word.

"And if we burn, you burn with us!"

Xxx

**Marina**

_I stand on the beach, the waves lapping over my feet. The sea is stormy, the waves are choppy, and the water is icy against my bare feet. The sky is grey and it's cold, so cold that even though I wrap my arms around myself to keep myself warm, it doesn't make any difference. I turn around, trying to find out where I am but all I can see is the grey sea stretching out ahead of me, with the grainy sand spread out behind me. I hear a rumble of thunder and I look up to see storm clouds gathering, the wind picking up and tugging at my hair._

_I know I'm dreaming, but it feels different. Not like my usual dreams. There's an odd clarity to this one and a sense of destiny, of something that's going to happen. I had a dream like this once before, many years ago, when I dreamt of Maren. The storm rolls in closer and I begin to shiver, wrapping my arms tighter around myself. I look away from the purple clouds and towards the beach, when I jump back in shock._

_My friends stand in front of me in a line, not speaking or smiling. All are wearing these odd black jumpsuits and they have numbers pinned on their chests. Stanley, Sophia, Maren, John, Ella and…and Joseph. He stares at me solemnly, sadly as if blaming me for his death. Seeing his face, even in a dream, hurts so much and I feel tears form in my eyes. I want to reach out for him, to feel his arms around me. I try to move closer but it's like my feet are stuck in the sand, fastening me to the spot. I reach out for them but my arm feels so heavy, like lead._

_"__What's going on?" I whisper. They don't reply but as I peer closer I notice something odd. Sophia has an aura of darkness around her and there's a flickering as she stands there, as if she's fading. I don't understand. There's no aura around the others. As I stare at them, many images race through my mind, so quickly that I barely grasp them._

_I see a scaffold. Stanley kneels on a metal floor, covered in blood. Fire enveloping Maren and she's screaming, either from pain or grief. Then there's an island, shrouded in mist, with peaks that rise higher than the sky. Ella sits on a throne, looking older, with a blank face. And then Joseph is there, sitting on a cliff on a sunny day, a grin on his face. _

_"__I don't understand," I whisper, as the images fade. Some of those images must be a mixture of past and present, because Joseph is dead and the image of him on the cliff can never happen. Was that before I met him? But he looked like he does now…what's going on?_

_I wipe away the tears from my eyes and I look up to see that most of my friends have vanished and it's just Joseph in front of me. He smiles softly, sadly, and tries to reach out for me but he can't. Is this supposed to be a reminder that we can never be together? Because every moment I'm awake I'm aware of that. I don't need to be reminded in my dreams as well._

_"__Joseph, I'm sorry for letting you die," I whisper, tears in my eyes. "I should have saved you…should have protected you," he shakes his head softly, as the clouds above me thicken more. I hear a rumble of thunder and then a crackle of lightning, as rain starts to fall. Joseph's form begins to disappear but I can still see his eyes, shining in the gloom._

_"__A promise is a promise," he whispers. "Never forget that,"_

I wake up, my sheets drenched with sweat. My heart hammers and I sit upright, part of me still believing that I'm on the beach. But I'm in my cell, the white room not having changed in the slightest. I stare at the clean wall, gasping, as I think of my dream. I wipe my face, my hand shaking from fear and grief.

Joseph. His face had been filled with so much warmth when he stared at me, like he had in real life. _A promise is a promise. Never forget that. _What had he meant? That he's still with me now, even though he's dead, like he had promised before the Games to always be with me. The thought of Joseph watching over me, protecting me even when he's dead comforts me slightly.

And what had the dream meant? Was it my mind going mad, trying to make me feel better? Or was it a real prophetic dream, like the one I had about Maren. I had dreamt about her so long ago and then she had appeared in the Games. Was that a sign, a message of what was to come? Was my most recent dream a message of what is going to happen in this war?

Some of the images had been clearer than others. A scaffold means a death. Someone is going to die, but who? Cody? Setrakus? Or one of my friends? There are so many questions, and I don't have the energy to figure it out. But nonetheless, it's obvious that a scaffold means death. Stanley covered in blood, must mean the war…or does it mean that they're torturing him. The idea is so horrific that I push it away, shuddering from the thought. Maren and the fire, the island, Ella on the throne…what does it all mean? None of it makes sense! I start to get annoyed by not knowing anything so I decide to distract myself by getting ready for the day.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed, stripping quickly, and washing myself with the hose. The water is cold but it wakes me up at once. My hands shake from the cold as I scrub myself clean, shuddering as I dunk my head in the cold bucket. I scrub my scalp clean, shaking from the cold, and then quickly wrap myself up in the blanket from the bed, shivering from the cold. I wish more than anything for warmth, for heat to warm me up.

I notice that a package was pushed through the door as I was washing, the water not letting me hear the noise of the grill being pulled back. I wrap the blanket tighter around me, grabbing the packet. I unwrap it quickly, my eyes narrowing when I pull out the thick white dress. It's long-sleeved, the dress falling to my feet and the neckline modest. But when I pull it on, I'm pleased but how thick it is, and I feel warm for the first time in a very long time. The material is very expensive; I can see elegant patterns sewed on in silver thread. It's drawn-in around my waist and then falls straight down to the floor. I let my wet hair hang around my hair as I wait for something to happen. Because there's only one reason they sent me this dress; I have to do something for them or Hector will be hurt.

I haven't had to do anything for them yet, even though Setrakus said that I would do the interview, and I knew it was coming at some point. I have to do whatever they tell me or they will hurt Hector. I only have him and Ella left; I can't let anything happen to either of them. I don't want to work for the mogs, the thought makes me feel sick, but I have no choice. I can't let Hector be tortured, killed…it would kill me.

I lie on bed for the next few hours, thinking through everything that they could want me to do. Whatever it is, it must be public because of the expensive dress they've put me in. I lie staring at the ceiling, my mind racing. Thinking of the dream, of Hector, of Ella and naturally of Joseph. What would he be doing if he were alive? Would he be locked in a room next to mine, being used as bait against me like Hector is? Or would he have gotten away with the others, fighting to free Lorien? Every thought is about Joseph, no matter how often I try to change my thoughts. It's always about him.

The door is suddenly unlocked and I sit up at once, wary and ready for anything. A few mogs walk in, but they're not soldiers. They carry this box between them and dump them on the floor, their eyes fixed on me. They're expressionless and they take me in, like I need work done. I watch them carefully but I'm not wary as I once was; I can take these mogs down in seconds and we all know it. Their reason for being here is soon clear when they open the box and the cosmetics are revealed to me. They've come to make me up for the camera.

I sit patiently for the next hour as they brush all sorts of make up onto my face: foundation, mascara, eye shadow…everything. I feel like a painted version of me that hides my grief and fear and anger. I want to fight them off as they brush my now-dry hair away from my face, plaiting it down my back and then putting it over my shoulder. I want to scream at them, shout at them for making me do this but I stay calm.

"She's done," one of them finally announces and then some guards walk in, as if waiting for this moment. Before I can back away, they grab me, dragging me from the room, whilst my team packs their stuff up. I try to keep calm but I want to freeze their hands on my arms, make them feel the same pain I feel. I want more than anything to revenge Joseph's death, but the mogs have made even that impossible.

"This way," they don't blindfold me this time, maybe not to smudge my perfectly made-up face, and I watch as we head through the floor of dungeons that I'm on. The rooms are all private with thick metal doors and grills for food. This must be the prison row for high-risk prisoners like me. I can't tell whether Sophia or Stanley are in the other cells but part of me doesn't want to see what state they're in. They must be suffering far more than I am; after all, they were actually rebellious.

I'm led up a set of back stairs to get to the destination. We go up loads of flights of stairs, and the past week of sitting in my cell and less food that I should have has made me weaker. I lose breath easily but I keep going, refusing to show weakness. But when we finally get to the floor where I'm supposed to be, the back of my neck is damp with sweat and I have a stitch in my side.

I'm led down a small corridor and then towards an open door, where I'm roughly pushed in. Immediately more mogs are onto me, making sure that I look ready for the camera and perfect. I stand there, taking in the small, rather-plain room, as mogs fuss around me. There are two chairs, cameras and stands set up everywhere for the production and a large window that shows the Capital. Caesar Flickerman sits in one of the chairs and I understand what's going on at once; it's the interview I was warned about.

"Ah Marina," he stands, smiling kindly when he sees me. I wonder if he really does like me or if it's just his job to be nice to me, like it's my job to support the mogs. I can't see Hector in here or Setrakus Ra to my great relief. I don't think I could concentrate.

"I'm just going to ask you a few questions," he stands in front of me when the team is done, deciding that I'm perfect. "But first we just need to do something,"

Before I can ask what he's doing, there's a stabbing pain in my neck. I cry out, watching as a mog soldier yanks a needle away from me and I clap my hand over my neck, the pain disappearing quickly. The world spins slightly around me and I think I wobble because someone grabs my arm and drags me over to the chair. I feel something moving slowly around my body, as if dulling sensations. My mind starts to fog up, as if I can't think properly. I can't seem to get a grip on my thoughts and the wind is foggy…unclear.

"Just to make sure you cooperate. We don't want you worked up and saying things you shouldn't," Caesar winks at me. "Of course, you know what will happen if you don't," Fear races through me as I think of Hector and I nod, taking a deep breath. At least I can still think about him.

I'm sat down on the chair and mogs walk around me, straightening my dress, my hair. Something cold is pushed into my ear and then there's a voice, telling me to repeat every word they tell me to. My body sits there calmly, but my mind starts to spin, to lose control on everything. I feel sick, but I can't seem to move. What is going on? What are they going to do to me? Caesar sits opposite me, and his blinding smile makes the world spin around me.

"Ready on one, two, three!" one of the mogs behind the camera says and then they begin the show.

Xxx

**Adam**

I wait in Commandment, aware that I'm slightly early. The mentors are here, and so are the high-ranking members of the Resistance, but the Elders aren't here yet. Alicia slumps on a nearby chair, but she's more alert than she appears. I feel my leg bouncing up and down under the table, the nerves getting to me. I have no reason to be nervous; everything is going well for me. Sandor and I have been making loads of progress with the weapons for the Elders and people have started to get used to me now. Those in command have accepted me, even though they insist on guarding my door at night and having Alicia escort me everywhere.

The door opens and I jump as Sam enters. He's joined Sandor and me a few times and he's just as good at the whole designing thing. I've spoken to him briefly and he's a nice guy, if not a little shy. But I'm not scared of Sam, or the mentors or even those in charge. I'm scared of the Elders, especially after seeing the footage of yesterday's mission. They looked deadly and terrifying and I know that if they want me dead, I'll be dead. Nothing can defend me.

"Hey Adam," Sam draws up a chair, smiling kindly at me. "Good day?" it's just small talk but I think part of him wants me to feel welcome, to settle in. I really appreciate it and I smile warmly.

"Good thanks," I clear my throat quietly. "Sandor and I are working on developing a chemical to detect when mogs are around. We could really use your help," I reply. Sam blushes slightly, adjusting the glasses on his nose.

"That would be great, thanks," he replies. "I was with the Elders today, you know, making sure they were ok after yesterday," he says, as if to apologise for his absence earlier. "But I'll be back in the arsenal tomorrow," he grins. I nod and then the door behind me opens, the Elders coming in, as if they knew Sam was talking about them.

They're as intimidating as ever to me, especially Elder Six, Maren Elizabeth. She narrows her eyes when she sees Sam next to me and makes a point of sitting on the chair farthest away from me. Elder Four, John, sits next to her, whilst Elder Eight, Joseph, sits on the one next to Sam. They look far more relaxed and John even smiles at me. President Laws still isn't present but she should be coming along soon.

"Congrats on the promo shoot," Alicia speaks up from next to me. "You guys looked great," The Elders look at her and I can see friendliness on their faces, something that I haven't received. They like Alicia because they fought with Hannah in the Games and Alicia's her sister. If I were a Loric, I would undoubtedly be their friend because of my connection with Hannah but I'm a mog. That changes everything.

"Thanks," John replies. "I think they're cleaning it up and smoothing it out and then they're going to release it on TV tomorrow," he shrugs, an easy smile on his face. He looks pretty laidback, even though he has reason enough to hate me. The girl he loved, Sarah, died in the Games because of my race and I was a Gamemaker at the time. I would have through he'd tried to have killed me by now.

"I hear that you've come up with some ideas for our weapons," I jump in shock when I see Joseph speaking to me. I nod, blushing loads, and I struggle awkwardly for a response.

"Yes, um, they should be ready soon," I whisper. Joseph nods, and John smiles, and I suddenly feel a little better. They don't care what race I am; I'm on their side and that's what counts. Well for those two anyway; Maren still looks at me like she wants to kill me.

"Good evening," President Laws enters the room, her face as cool as ever. I shift, intimidated, in my chair but she doesn't even look at me. She has a small smile on her face as she looks at the Elders. "Congratulations on the video," she says.

"They disobeyed orders!" A man protests. He's not a mentor; I think he's a high-ranking rebel here in the Resistance. "They removed their earpieces and went directly into battle, disobeying orders!" he says, his face red with indignation. Laws smiles tightly as she takes her seat, her eyes cool.

"But they produced a riveting and compelling video," she replies calmly. "The Loric will be motivated to fight after viewing the clip, which is what we wanted. It will boost moral and the desire to fight. I think for the moment we can ignore the fact that they disobeyed orders," she replies. But I have a feeling that if they do it again they won't be forgiven. And seeing the tight smile on Maren's face, she knows it too.

"How will it be broadcasted?" Laws turns to Sandor, the guy who seems to be tasked with everything to do with technology. He frowns, rubbing his chin wearily.

"Melvin promised me that he would try to find a way to hack into the communication system set up by the mogs used to broadcast the Games," he sighs. "It's easier than setting our own up," he frowns.

"There are two broadcasting systems," I speak up without thinking. "One for the cities and one for the Capital. I should be able to hack the one for the cities," I swallow, feeling all eyes on me, but I can see supportive smiles. Not only from Alicia and Sam, but from John and Joseph too.

"What about the Capital?" Maren asks, her voice unsure. "We need to broadcast it there," I shake my head, speaking without thinking.

"It'll be hard. It's heavily guarded there, because that's where the most influential and important Mogadorians live so the system is much more complex," I explain. "That's why they set up two systems. So the whole of Lorien could be shown clips like the one you made to convince Loric to rebel, but the capital would be intact," I swallow. "It's a defensive mechanism"

"I don't care about the mechanics, just get it done," Laws says bluntly. "Adam, you and Melvin will be charged with broadcasting the clip to the cities. The Capital is not our concern; there are no Loric in there and we are _not_ appealing to Mogadorians," she says firmly. I nod, feeling pleased to have been recognised by her, and Alicia shoots me a grin.

"We've had an idea for more shoots," one of the mentors speaks. It's Christina, the mentor of one of the captives in the Capital. She looks exhausted but determined. "The other mentors and I were thinking of producing clips about the Loric tributes who have been in the Games. Each clip would focus on a different one, dead or alive," she says.

Laws nods, her face stoic, despite the grim topic. "That's a good idea. We can add personal touches too," Laws says. "The Elders can speak about those who were in their years, and you, the Mentors, are able to of course provide information about those you trained," she says. They nod and then Alicia sits up, her face determined.

"I can talk about Hannah," she says. "About Wade too, from the year before. I knew them both," Her voice is hard but I can see the pain in her eyes. Laws just nods, apparently oblivious to all emotion. I wonder what she's been through to make her so cold, or maybe she has to be. She has to be the strong one whilst we all fall apart.

"And I can talk about Sarah," John whispers quietly. I watch as Maren gently puts her hand on his arm and they share a smile. I guess she can smile, just not at me.

"As for you," Laws turns to the Elders. "You will be enrolled in the standard training for soldiers with legacies. You will be trained by your mentors with your chimaera if you so desire, and you _will_ learn the meaning of obeying orders," her eyes fix coldly on the three of them and I watch as Maren meets her gaze, her jaw locked. There's definitely going to be tension there.

"Yes, Ma'am," Joseph says calmly, as if to keep the peace. "When do we start?" he asks.

"Tomorrow," Laws draws her papers close, looking like she wants to go. "And now, if that is all-"

The door bursts open and the Elders jump to their feet at once as the man runs in. He's panting; his face red, and there's a look of desperation on his face. Laws remains calm but I can see the alarm in her eyes.

"Ma'am, there's a…there's a clip from the Capital," the man gasps. "You need to see it,"

One of the rebels turns to the touchscreen boards at once, his fingers flying over the surface at once. The Elders sit down, but I can see the tension in their faces. I can only imagine what kind of clip the mogs have made for the TV to fight this war.

The screen comes to life and I hear a gasp as a girl appears on the screen. Joseph turns white and his hands clutch the table, practically moulding the metal beneath his grip. I stare at the girl again, finally placing her. It's Marina, one of the Elders. It's hard to recognise her in fancy clothes, instead of the tribute's clothes that I'm used to seeing her in. She's been dressed in a white dress, her hair plaited, and she looks fine. No bruises.

"She's not been tortured," Joseph whispers, tears in his eyes. I think he's happy in a twisted way. "They haven't hurt her," John squeezes his arm reassuringly.

I don't have the heart to tell him that mogs are experts in torture and if they had hurt her, it wouldn't be obvious. That her suffering may not be physical but mental.

"So Marina," the camera pans out and I can see the cosy setting of Caesar Flickerman and Marina, sat opposite one another. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right?" he asks kindly. Marina nods, but there's something slightly off about it.

"Of course," she replies calmly. "I'll do anything I can to help," she says smoothly. Too smoothly. Joseph narrows his eyes at once, his jaw clenched so hard.

'They've drugged her," he scowls. Henri shakes his head, his face fixed in a frown.

"They'll be controlling her by using her friends as bait, not drugging her," he says gently. Joseph shakes his head firmly, his eyes flashing with anger. There must be more to friendship between Joseph and Marina because John and Maren are acting much calmer. And Joseph strikes me as a laid back kind of guy, not the kind of guy to get worked up over little things. Yet right now he looks like he could tear the room apart.

"I _know_ her. They've drugged her to control her," he says fiercely. John nods, his arm resting comfortingly on Joseph's arm.

"He's right," he says to Henri. "If anyone knows her, it's Joseph. We have to take his word on this," I can see the frowns on the other's faces but they don't protest any more.

"So Marina," Caesar looks at her sadly. "What happened on that night? The last night in the arena?" She looks at him calmly, a slight frown on her face. She looks calm, too calm, and I start to believe Joseph.

"It was so hot," she whispers. "So hot. And dark," she shakes her head as if to clear it but she can't. She's frowning and I can only imagine what drug they pumped in her to control her. But it won't be obvious to those who don't know her, or who don't know what the mogs are capable of. Which is why this video has the potential to be so dangerous; the Loric might genuinely believe every word she says. Might not believe that she's being fully controlled.

"Stanley and I were guarding Sophia and Maren," Marina begins, her voice firmer, as if she's caught hold of the memory. "It's was so dark but I could see because of my legacy. Everything was going ok, until there was a scream," she shudders. "It was Maren," I notice that Maren's jaw is clenched, her eyes fixed on the screen. Everyone is captivated.

"And?" Caesar presses. Marina's jaw works and then she takes a deep breath, continuing.

"We saw that the wire had been cut and then Sophia ran by us, telling us to run back to the tree whilst she killed the careers. They were so close…so close to us," she whispers. "We couldn't run even if Sophia wanted us to. They tackled us and I lost my bow. Sophia ran after them and Stanley wanted to follow but I wanted to go back to the others," she whispers.

"To break the arena. To escape the Games," Caesar says. Marina frowns, shaking her head.

"No. _No,_" her voice breaks. "No, it wasn't like that. We didn't know about the plan, we didn't have an idea," her voice hardens and her face almost becomes fierce, scary. "We had no idea, that was just Sophia and-" Caesar puts his hands up to placate her and she lowers her voice, settling down. Joseph stares at the screen as if there's nothing else in the world.

"I believe you…I believe you," Caesar replies calmly. "What happened next?"

"We killed one career," she replies. "Sophia wanted to head back to the tree and we started to make our way there…but it was too late. The arena was breaking…it was breaking all around us and I thought I was going to die," she shudders, her hands clenching the arms of the chair.

"But Marina, you must realise how this looks. Maren destroyed the arena, yet you claim she wasn't in on the plan," Caesar says. Marina shakes her head frantically, her eyes erratic.

"She didn't know!" she snaps. "Maren had no idea. We were all being used and we didn't know! We had no idea about this plan to get us out!" she protests. Caesar nods, his face cynical.

"And Maren somehow knew how to break the arena?" he asks. Marina suddenly sags back into the chair, apparently giving up the anger.

"I don't know," she whispers. "It's such a blur. I can't really remember…I don't know," she whispers, tears in her eyes. Caesar nods, smiling reassuringly at her. Joseph looks sick.

"Don't worry, I believe you," He pauses and then clears his throat. "Do you think that you could say a few words?" he asks her. "Pretend that your friends are watching this now, what would you say?" Marina takes a deep breath and then nods, turning to the camera. Her face is calm, clear.

"Maren, John…if you're listening, I want you to think," she says softly. "I want you to think about what will happen if the war begins. Thousands will die, mogs and Loric together. Cities will be destroyed; lives will be ruined. Is this what you want? Is this what you really want?" she asks. Joseph's hands clench into fists. I feel sick.

"Marina…are you…are you calling for a ceasefire?" Caesar asks, shocked, but I know better. They planned this. They planned every single word of this. Marina nods, her face almost blank, like she's reciting something being played.

"Yes, Caesar," she nods. "I'm calling for a ceasefire,"

* * *

**Phew, so that was a long one! Sorry about that! **

**Also, I need an idea for a master legacy for Stanley so any suggestions would be appreciated! I would ask for the others, but I have some ideas that fit in with the story.**

**Thank you and please review!**


	43. Chapter 42 - The Wait

**Hi guys! **

**A huge thank you for all the reviews! I know I say it every time and I really do appreciate them, so thank you to everyone!**

**Answers to reviews:**

\- **AmazingGrace37 – **That sounds like a great idea for Stanley's legacy, especially because of the link with Devektra. Joseph and the others are gong to realise that Marina thinks he's dead soon, precisely because of that reason too! I'm impressed that you caught that! :D

\- **Loricwarrior9 – **Sophia's aura definitely have a reason but I can't say what it is; I have to have some secrets :P I also love the idea of phasing because of the link with the pebble in the series! Thank you!

\- **Leaning Leon – **Thank you for the suggestion! I really like that one too!

\- **TheAdventuresofaNerd – **I'm really glad that you like the Ella aging thing – I was a little worried it might be too weird. Thank you so much for the lovely review!

\- **TheClutch – **Thank you! I'll make sure to include some more Jix moments from now on!

\- **xxStarsnowxx – **Thank you so much!

**So a huge thank you to everyone and please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 42 – The Wait

**John**

I head back to my room, my body exhausted and sore after the long day of training. It's only been a week and a half since I've been in the arena, but already I can feel the difference from not doing any training. Fortunately, I know I'll get into shape soon, no matter how much it hurts right now. Maren didn't even seem to have any problem at all, and Joseph was as good as ever, but I hope underneath they're struggling as much as me. BK trots by my side, as energetic as ever, still excited after the long day of training. As least someone is happy.

Training has been intense with all the different mentors; each one has a specific area that they excel at. Reynolds is great for legacy training, whilst Kat is good at hand-to-hand; she frequently manages to disarm Joseph and I, although she can't do it to Maren. Crayton is an expert at everything to do with weapons, whilst Sandor has spent years inventing machines to help us train. Henri is good at strength work whilst Adelina, when she does join us, helps us with endurance work and running. Christina, Sophia's mentor, is great at strategizing and teamwork. Overall, every aspect of training is covered and it's great.

Has it only been over a week since the arena? It feels like a lifetime away that I was in there and Sarah was with me…Sarah. It stills hurts like hell to think of her, still kills to think of what could have happened if she had only stayed alive a few more days…

"John!" I turn at the voice, smiling when I see Henri. I hadn't been able to talk to him much until training today. But just knowing that he's here lifts a huge weight off my shoulders.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask, pausing in the corridor. My room is just a few doors down but it's clear Henri wants a private chat. He catches up to me, a smile on his face, but he looks concerned.

"I thought you should know, Adam was able to break through the mog communication systems for the cities earlier today," he says. "The video of Navaria was broadcasted to the whole of Lorien, apart from the Capital," he says happily. I grin in excitement, my hand resting absentmindedly on BK.

"And?" I ask, hoping for the best. After last night's video from the Capital, anything will be good news. We don't know how much damage Marina's video could have done, or if people would be aware that she was being forced to say those things. But I have a terrible feeling that it could have done some serious damage.

"It's been successful so far," he grins. "It seems to have boosted the moral that was knocked last night. I bet it will have done more good than we can imagine," he looks relieved and I gently stroke BK's head, filled with relief.

"That's good news," I grin. "I was worried what could happen…after last night," Henri nods, resting his hand on my shoulder.

"I think we were lucky this time. Seeing you all after everything that happened in the arena…it really helped," he smiles. "But don't rest on your laurels though. The Capital will retaliate, and soon," he warns me and I can't help but smile at his pessimism even though he's right. Trust Henri to always look ahead instead of enjoying the moment.

"It looks like it's going to be a war of TV," I reply. Henri nods and then looks up and down the corridor to make sure we're alone. His face takes on a serious expression and I watch him, intrigued.

"John, we have a meeting tomorrow in Commandment," he whispers quietly. "To talk about the success of the video, and the plans for your next video" he looks around again and I feel the tiniest bit of nerves. What now?

"And?" I whisper. Henri looks at me, his face filled with concern.

"Marina and the other Elders in the Capital are in trouble," he whispers. "The Rebels here know that they're being forced to act like traitors but they still don't forgive easily. They're not going to grant them immunity,"

I freeze, alarm racing through me. "They're not even thinking of saving them now?" I hiss. Henri looks around warily and then nods slightly.

"No, not now. They know that Marina will have caused some damage with the video, even though yours managed to undo most of it," he murmurs. "Laws won't even consider rescuing them or giving them immunity now," I shake my head, thinking of Joseph. He's torn up enough as it is seeing Marina on TV, why would the rebels do this to him? And why would they abandon the others who need us more than ever?

"What can we do?" I whisper hopelessly. "I can't tell Laws what to do," Henri smiles, pulling away from me and I can see a few guards walking down the hallway. I know some patrol during the night, just to make sure everything is fine.

"But you're an Elder, John," he laughs, as if we've been having a normal conversation. "You're far more powerful than you think," He pats my shoulder and then turns away, nodding at the guards. I smile at them too, despite my spinning mind, and then turn, walking to my room.

_What does he mean?_ I ask BK, who despite being a chimaera, is incredibly wise. They just seem to know things, to understand things that I can barely comprehend.

_Maybe he means that if you put your mind to it, you can ask anything of Laws,_ BK replies, his tongue out as he pants up at me. _After all, you're more important._

I sigh, swiping my key and entering my shared room with Joseph. He's a good roommate to have: chilled and funny when he needs to be, and quiet when we both need to the silence to mourn. But most of all, it's easy to talk to him about how I feel about Sarah; I know he feels the same about Marina. I've finally started to acknowledge her death and I'm starting to feel better. Starting to accept it, instead of burying myself in training or trying to forget about her loss. Doesn't mean the pain has gone, but it doesn't mean it's at the centre of everything now.

I expect it to be quiet in our room after the video from last night, after all, Joseph is still torn up about it, but it's busier than I expected. Sam sits on my bed, chatting to Joseph. Sam is going to share with Adam soon, whilst Maren will share with Alicia. There's a shortage of rooms here and having your own room is a luxury, even if you're an Elder.

"Hey John," Sam smiles warmly at me, but Joseph just looks miserable. I think of how he threw himself into training today, kind of like I did to take my mind off everything. Off Sarah, off the war, off Marina's video…but there's a time when we have to face the facts. And it's always in the evening.

"Everything all right?" I ask. Sam nods, already dressed in the grey flannel pyjamas that we have to wear for bed. Joseph is half-dressed, staring at the flannel shirt in his hands as if he doesn't understand what it is.

"We were talking about Adam, whether to trust him or not," Sam sighs. I bite my lip, about to reply when a voice rings out from behind me.

"Well I don't," I jump in shock to see Maren materialise and Joseph laughs, a slightly shocked laugh, but it's one all the same. Sam grins at her as she waltzes over, sitting on my bed, opposite the two boys.

"How did you get in here?" I ask. Maren winks at me, her face mischievous.

"Invisibility is a bitch for the rebels," she grins. "I can break whatever rule I want in here and they won't know it's me," Sam laughs outright and I can't help but roll my eyes.

"But why don't you trust Adam?" I push, moving back to our earlier conversation. Maren shrugs, a frown on her face.

"He's a mog," she retorts. "I'll never trust a mog,"

"Why not? He gave up everything for us," I point out. "He clearly loved Hannah, I mean have you seen the way he looks when he talks about her?" I ask. Sam grins cheekily, shooting me a look.

"Looks like you and Joseph come to think of it," he jokes. I roll my eyes again, ignoring the dull ache as I think of Sarah, and even Joseph cracks a smile.

"And the mind reader guy insisted that he was good," Joseph adds. "I think we should trust him. He just wants to fit in, to belong. I say we give him the chance," he suggests. Sam nods, as I quickly change into my pyjamas. BK jumps up onto his own little bed, snuggling next to Joseph's chimaera, Rey.

"I was speaking with him today whilst you guys were training," Sam says. "He really loved Hannah you know. She was in his mind for all those months and he fell for her. He killed his own brother so Hannah's sister could live. That shows dedication, don't you think?" he argues. Maren frowns, still not entirely convinced and I jump in again.

"Besides, he _has_ to stick with us. His own race will kill him if he returns," I point out. Maren huffs and crosses her arms, but I can tell she's been convinced for now.

"Yeah well I'm going to keep an eye on him," she tosses her hair back. "Someone's got to try to keep us alive," I grin, sitting next to her on my bed.

"Yeah, you do that _Six," _I tease her. She narrows her eyes and lightly hits my arm, but I can tell she's amused. A silence falls between us, the only four free survivors from the 14th Annual Funeral Games. That was just last year. _One year ago._ They seem so long ago, so _easy_ compared to now. And we thought we had it bad back then.

"We have a bigger problem that Adam anyway," I sigh, finally broaching the subject. "Henri said that the Resistance don't want to grant our friends in the Capital immunity,"

Joseph's head snaps up at once, his eyes filled with anger and betrayal. Maren and Sam start speaking at once, their angry voices rising over each other as if their talking alone can solve the problem. BK growls in the corner, wanting his sleep, and I smile just a little bit.

"Guys, shut up!" Joseph snaps. "John, what did he say?" All three look at me, and I rub my face, trying to remember everything Henri said.

"The rebels know that Marina was forced to say those things, but they're worried. Our video was a success but it would have been even greater if Marina's hadn't been aired. We did some serious damage control today," I sigh. Joseph nods, his eyes fixed on me. I can tell Maren wants to talk but in a great show of control, she lets me talk.

"The rebels know if Marina has been forced, the others will be forced too. They'll use each other as bait, I think," I shudder at the thought of our friends being tortured and I can see the others look sick. "They don't think our friends deserve immunity because of that and if they're rescued, they'll probably be put to trial as traitors,"

"No, they can't do that!" Joseph protests. "They'll have been through enough! Marina-" his face crumples and for the first time since I've known him, Joseph bursts into tears. I'm kind of shocked, never having seen him cry before, even though everyone cries at some point. Sam reaches out and awkwardly pats his arm, but it's Joseph's chimaera, Rey, who does the best job. Shape shifting into a puppy, he snuggles into his Garde's arms to comfort him.

"Hey, it's all right," Maren shakes her head, crossing her arms. "They need us more than we need them. We can strike a bargain," she argues. It's like she and Henri share a mind because that's what he said to me.

"You think it will work?" Joseph wipes the tears from his cheeks, trying to control himself. He looks so innocent then that I feel protective over him. Maren nods, her face determined, but she reaches out and gentle takes his hands in hers.

"Hey, we'll get Marina out of there, I promise," she says. "She'll be here soon and back with you before you know it," It's the first time in ages that I've seen her soft side and it's nice to see it return. Joseph smiles and squeezes her hands, looking happier than before.

"Thanks Maren," he whispers. "Thanks," he attempts a smile and Maren gently pulls him in for a hug. I know this must be hard for her, since her family are still very much in danger, yet here she is, comforting Joseph. She's pushing her own feelings to the side to make him feel better and I feel a weird surge of pride towards her.

"Right, I think we better go to bed," I say gently. "We're all tired and we need to get some sleep for training tomorrow," Sam nods at once, standing upright and heading for the door. He looks at Maren who's pulled away from Joseph but looks uncertain.

"Has anyone else been getting weird dreams?" she asks. "Like a kind of prophecy?" Joseph looks up at once, his face animated.

"You too?" he asks. "I keep getting them. I mean, I've always had dreams but this one is different," Sam rolls his eyes, opening the door.

"I will leave you mystical Elders to your prophetic dreams and I'll see you tomorrow," he grins. Maren flips him off but she's grinning and Sam leaves with a laugh.

"What dreams have you had?" I ask Joseph. He frowns, thinking about it, and then his face lights up as he remembers.

"I dreamt about the Games. I mean, I didn't realise it at the time, but I dreamt of a cornucopia and a stadium as if I was standing in it, which had never happened before," he explains. "It turned out to be the Games," he explains. "There have been other dreams as well. Cities burning, speeches in squares, the Training Centre collapsing…" he trails off. "All of which has happened,"

Maren nods, smiling. "I've never had a dream before when I can see the future…you must have a legacy of precognition," she says.

"It's the only thing that would make sense," Joseph agrees. "It's like visions, like I can see what's going to happen. But I don't really understand it and I have no control over it," he sighs, rubbing his temples. Maren shrugs, pursing her lips.

"Whatever it is, it's not the dreams you're having now since we've all got it at the moment," she notes.

"Maybe," Joseph nods. "This one does feel different. We're all on a beach, all of us, including the others in the Capital," he says. "And Sophia has this weird dark aura around her, but I don't know why. And then I see images," he shudders, but Maren jumps in at once, eagerly.

"Stanley's covered in blood. There's an island, a scaffold," she says.

Joseph nods, his face alive. "And Marina's on a field of ice,"

"What does that mean though?" I ask, feeling left out. I haven't had this dream, but if I'm an Elder, shouldn't I have had it? It seems like this dream is targeted for every Elder, not just Loric with precognition.

"No idea," Maren shrugs. "It's just a weird dream that means something. But whatever it is, it's not helping win this war," she smiles, and suddenly it's like everything is better, like the serious mood has vanished. "Let's get some sleep. We're going to have a long day of bargaining tomorrow," she stands up and heads for the door, but I don't want her to go.

"Hey, Maren?" I call before she goes. She turns, her face intrigued. "We'll get your family out too. I promise," I say. She nods, and then slips out of the door. I watch her go, a weird feeling of sadness in my chest.

That night, I dream of our friends fighting, whilst the world behind us burns in flames.

Xxx

**Ella**

Ever since I'd been called for the Games, and I'd been amongst my friends I'd always wanted to be older. I'd wanted to be the same age as them, so that Stanley wouldn't see me as a feeble little sister, so that they would respect me. I'd dreamt of being tall and beautiful, with great legacies that would impress everyone. I had always wanted to be the same age so I could prove I was someone who was worthy of being their friend.

Of course, now that I am older, I wish more than anything I could be younger. Maybe it's ironic that I'm seventeen. Not only a day ago I looked thirteen yet I felt old. I still felt worn down by everything that has happened. Mentally, I was much older and now physically I match. I should be happy. At seventeen I'm stronger than I was at thirteen, I look like someone not to be underestimated and I have my legacies now. I don't know what they are, but I can feel this buzz in my veins and I know I have them.

I stare at myself in the mirror, the face alien yet achingly familiar too. My skin is still pale and I still have those annoying freckles dotted all over my nose. But my face is less chubby; I've lost all the puppy fat of a kid. It would be nice if it weren't so sudden. One minute I'm a tiny thirteen year old and now I'm a seventeen year old. I can't cope with the change.

I flop down onto my bed, burying my face in my hands. I want to use my legacies, the only upside to this transition but I have no idea what they are. I've tried to contact Stanley with telepathy and Marina too, but I can't get through to either of them. It's not because of me; it must be because they're drugged. I suppose I could try to talk to Cody but the thought makes me feel sick.

As for my other legacies, I still have telekinesis and I can still use my Aeternus…Aeternus! I can make myself young again! Shaking with excitement, I think of myself as a thirteen year old and then I'm shrinking suddenly, losing weight. It's so natural, just like breathing. I open my eyes and find my normal, young body back. I grin, happy for the first time today. I'm me again.

Of course, I don't know how long I can stay thirteen. Setrakus will make me older I'm sure, because who would listen to a thirteen year old? It's a smart move to make me older. Not only will I have my legacies, but I'll look like someone who can rule Lorien too. I'll be taken more seriously. I roll over, looking down at my hands, willing my legacies to work, but nothing happens. Nothing.

I yell in frustration, kicking my pillow off the bed. I lie on my back, breathing heavily in my anger. It's not fair. I didn't want this, yet it happened to me anyway. A part of me wonders how he did it, how he made me older. But why am I so surprised? He's a Garde member; aging people could be a legacy. After all, there are legacies to fly, to turn invisible, to be fireproof…aging people isn't much of a stretch at all.

I hear the sound of the door unlocking and I sit up at once, straightening the too-big dress that's tangled around my legs. It was made for a seventeen year old but I've shrunk again. I look up to see Cody march in, looking slightly shocked when he sees that I'm young again. But he soon plasters a calm look over his face, despite the look of turmoil in his eyes. I can see some guards behind him but to my relief, Setrakus is nowhere to be seen.

"Get changed," Cody throws clothes towards me and I notice they're for my seventeen-year-old self. I have to change age again. I want to fight back but I know that Setrakus will come back with his staff and the memory of the fiery pain makes me shake with fear.

I focus on my seventeen -year-old self and that funny tickling sensation creeps through me as I start to grow again. It's so easy. I begin to change and then in no time I'm older again, the dress fitting perfectly. I stand in front of Cody, who stares at me, shocked and horrified. Maybe he thinks Setrakus went too far this time. Maybe he's started to realise what a mess everything is. I think he feels _sorry_ for me but I don't want his pity. It's too late.

"I want some privacy when I change," I tell him coldly. He blushes at once and ducks away from me, shutting the door behind me. I take a look at the clothes, frowning in confusion when I see the black trousers and shirt with the trainers. Training clothes. But why do I need training clothes? I frown as I pull the clothes on, trying to figure out what Setrakus wants me to do when the thought hits me.

He wants me to train my legacies.

Xxx

"Well, it's not flying either,"

I hit the floor, the breath knocked out of me harshly as my body aches with pain. I sob, hunching into a ball, my bruised and battered body desperate for a rest. I hear talking nearby and then some laughter, as more tears streak down my face. I was right; they want to train my legacies. Only…they don't know what they are, so there's only one thing to do. Beat me until they find out what it is.

"Come on, they've got to come out soon," one of the mogs complains. Someone drags my arm and I'm pulled upright, sobbing. I'm in one of the many training halls here, but this one is empty of any machines or equipment. There's just a group of mogs and a bench along the side, with a box of torture equipment nearby. Cody sits on the bench, looking stricken and I can tell he wants to help me. Only the coward is too weak to do anything.

"Can't I just have a rest?" I whisper. Setrakus Ra sits next to Cody, his face twisted up in a smile.

"The more battered your body is, the more likely your legacies will come out," he replies calmly. "Next!"

One of the mogs grabs me by the arms and makes me stand still as another approaches with a lit candle. I try to struggle away, more tears streaming down my face, but the mogs are too strong and my body hurts too much. I begin to sob and then cry out as the flame touches my skin. They're trying to see if I have Lumen, if I'm fireproof but I'm not and the pain is too much.

"Nope," one of the mogs pulls the flame away and I drop to my knees, wiping my face. Blood is wiped onto my hand and I see that I'm shaking.

"Next!" Setrakus announces. I whimper as my arms are grabbed and a bucket of water appears. The mogs must have a supply of things to torture me with. I struggle desperately as the water appears but the mogs are too strong.

"Enough!" I look up, surprised to see Cody standing. He strides over to me, and then stands in front of me, his face furious. "This is no way to make her one of us! This is no way to treat her!"

One of the mogs practically snarls at him. "Out of my way, _boy," _he hisses. Cody squares his shoulders, and there's a superior look on his face that I've never seen before. It suits him better than the pathetic look he usually has.

"_You_ listen to _me,"_ he hisses. "_I'm_ the superior one here, remember?" he leans closer. "And if you don't listen to a word I say, you won't be standing for much longer," I stare at Cody, shocked that he's' defending me. But maybe he's not bad enough to enjoy watching girls being beaten up. I crawl to my knees and watch as Setrakus laughs in the corner, approval on his face.

"Listen to him, Commander," Setrakus says. "You don't want to disobey orders in front of me, do you?" the commander blanches at once and nods, ducking away from Cody. I'm filled with relief and the tiniest bit of gratitude that everything is over for today and I try to stand up.

"Hey, take it easy," Cody is suddenly in front of me and he gently helps me stand. I nod, wiping my face again, but more blood is smeared onto my hand. Cody watches me, almost helplessly, and then anger crosses his face. I can tell he's going to shout at someone again.

_Don't,_ I speak to him telepathically. He jerks, startled; he didn't even know I had this. _Don't get yourself in more trouble._ He takes a deep breath, as if to calm himself. He reaches out and gently wipes some blood away from my face and I wince, not at his touch, but at the pain. Cody bites his lip, trying to keep his anger under control.

_Do you know what other legacies you have?_ He asks

_No,_ I reply.

"I'm going to take her to her rooms," Cody turns. "She needs rest," He adds regally. No one says anything and with a sigh of relief, I turn to go to the door and escape this hellish room.

"Wait!" I hear the command and then I turn, just as Setrakus throws the knife at us.

I don't know where he got it from and what he's doing but instinct races through me faster than I can think. The knife slices through the air and I can hear Cody yell something but then my hands fly up in front of me. A surge of power races through me and I feel alive, like an electric current. Just as I'm sure the knife is going to hit us, I watch as a current of energy is thrown up in front of Cody and I. Then the knife hits the force field and is blown to pieces.

There's a long silence as the remains of the knife fall to the floor, the force field still up in front of me. I stare at it, at the thin membrane-like current that just saved my life. It looks so thin, so weak but it's so powerful. I know that it could stop a bomb if I wanted it to. It could stop anything. Setrakus grins, looking triumphant, as if something happened that he had wanted. As if he knew this was going to happen.

"Ella," he announces. "Pick the knife up," I peer down at the ground, at the ashy hilt that is all that's left of the knife but I pick it up, Cody stares at me, and I can see a glimmer of respect in his eyes.

"What do you want me to do?" I ask. Setrakus walks closer, his face animated.

"Your master legacy is the ability to create a force field," he says. "But I want to see if you have another legacy," he nods at the hilt. "Charge it with energy,"

I stare at him, puzzled. I don't know how to do what he wants me to do. I don't even know how I made the force field. Yet I have to try, and I _want_ to. I want to find out what my legacies are. Somehow, Setrakus knows what legacies I should have. I stare at the hilt, imagining it being charged up with some hidden charm or energy. I suddenly feel a rush of energy race through me, different from the earlier one. It's colder, almost meaner. I gasp as the energy floods into the hilt and it glows blue for a very brief second. Then it turns normal again.

"Cody, fly up in the air," Setrakus says. Cody wipes a drop of seat away from his face, looking as nervous as I suddenly feel, but he does as he's told. He can't disobey Setrakus. He hovers up in the air, a few feet above the ground, and I turn to Setrakus, feeling sick when I see the excited glint in his eyes.

"Ella, throw the hilt at Cody," I stare at Setrakus, wanting to shake my head. Cody just saved my life in here, and now I'm supposed to attack him. But then I see the cruel look on Setrakus' face and I know this is not an order I can disobey either. Taking a deep breath I throw the hilt at Cody.

It flies through the air and hits Cody, but instead of falling away like I expect it to, it sticks to him. Cody starts to scream, trying to brush of the hilt but it won't let go of him. He gasps and then a look of panic races across his face. He grasps for the empty air and then he plummets down, landing with a sickening thud on the ground. I stare at him in horror, wondering what the hell I just did to him.

"Cody? Are you all right?" I ask, without even thinking. Cody groans but nods, pushing himself into a sitting position. There's blood on his face but I don't think any of his bones are broken. Setrakus laughs, looking delighted.

"Dreynen," he grins at me. "A very powerful, but very rare legacy. It has the ability to cancel out the legacies of other Garde," he explains. I stare at Cody, and kneel down next to him, trying to help him stand. Setrakus watches, looking a little annoyed but I don't care.

"Are there are more legacies for me to master?" I ask, my voice bitter. Cody tries to smile at me but I can tell he's hurt by the fall and he's scared of Setrakus. We all are.

"Telekinesis, Aeternus, Dreynen and Force fields. Those are your legacies," Setrakus announces, a pleased smirk on his face. I want to wipe it off but I'm too weak and I don't know what the monster could do to us. "If you have any more, you'd be unbelievably powerful," he turns away from us, nodding towards the mogs to take us back to our rooms. I'm heaved to my feet and I stare as the same is done to Cody, who groans a little. His eye locks with mine and I can see his fear.

_We need to get out of here,_ his eye lands on Setrakus' monstrous form. _At once._

Xxx

**Sophia**

"I'm bored,"

I roll my eyes, not looking away from the earth book that I'm reading. It's about a mystical world where wizards go to this special school to train their magic; it's pretty good. To be honest I'm just as bored as Stanley is but I'm better at hiding it. Or dealing with it. I lie on the sofa, wrapped up in a warm blanket, and full from the lunch we had. If we weren't prisoners, I would almost be happy to be here considering the nice treatment we've had. But I know this is just a game for the mogs.

"I'm bored," Stanley repeats, as if I didn't hear him the first time.

"Read a book," I suggest, turning the page. Stanley huffs and I can only imagine his scowl.

"I hate reading," he replies.

"Be creative. Draw something," I reply. He laughs, as I skim the page.

"I hate drawing," he retorts.

"Then watch TV," I suggest. Stanley flops down on the sofa next to me, as if demanding my attention. He's like a kid at times, I swear.

"There's nothing good on," he complains. "The only thing they showed recently was Marina's interview, and you know things are bad when that's the only interesting thing!" he frowns. I sigh, putting the book down; reading is going to impossible when he's in this mood.

"She'll be ok," I reassure him, knowing that behind his act, he's worried about her. "She didn't look tortured," I point out. It feels like this conversation is repeated every day and it makes me feel sick. I want to be able to talk about something else, even if it's just as morbid. I just want to talk about something that doesn't involve torture or death or being captives.

"Yeah, but what have they done to make them work for her?" he protests. I shrug, sitting upright and wrapping the blanket more firmly around me.

"Maybe the same thing they did to me," I point out. "Used someone against her,"

Stanley shakes his head, anger on his face. I can tell it kills him to be locked up in here and doing nothing. He's an active person and this is his idea of hell. He's been so restless and I've seen him doing push-ups and sit-ups for hours on end. He wanted to do hand-to-hand once but I refused, knowing that they would separate us if we did that. It would look too much like we're planning on escaping and they'd punish us for that.

"This is bullshit," he complains, standing up and running a hand through his hair. It's grown out slightly and hangs around his head in a shaggy cut. I actually quite like it on him. "They're got us all hanging around and when they snap their fingers, they expect us to snap to attention!" he frowns.

"That's what happens when you're in control," I sigh. "You can do stuff like that," Stanley shakes his head, his face determined. Sometimes it's great to see him so determined to fight, and other times, like today, it just gets tiring.

"You don't have to play along. Refuse to work for them," he says. I sigh again because this is also a familiar conversation and it always ends the same way. But Stanley just refuses to believe that I could possibly even consider working for them, even if it meant that he was safe and unharmed.

"Yes, and you'll be tortured," I say dryly. "Great plan, Stanley. That's why you were never told about the first one!" I snap. He winces and I feel bad for a second. It's still a touchy subject that he wasn't let in on the plan. He just wants to know things, to feel like he's worth something. But still…sitting here and arguing does nothing.

"Can we just talk about something else?" I ask, my tone more gentle. "We've covered the same ones over and over," I sigh. "Marina will be fine, and I'm going to work for the mogs to protect you. Nothing you say will ever change that, ok?" Stanley frowns, crossing his arms, but I can see that for now I've won. I can sense reluctance in his thoughts but I can also feel that he doesn't want to upset me more. He thinks I'm near breaking point because of what I'm going to have to do for the mogs. I can't be bothered to correct him.

"Fine, we'll talk about something else," he shrugs. He reaches up and pulls off the blue pendant with the silver pattern on, his finger lightly skimming over the smooth surface. He looks calmer, if not a little resigned. "I've always wondered what the pattern was…ever since Sandor gave it to me. What does this mean? Why do we all have different patterns?" he asks.

I sit forwards, looking at his closely. "Each pattern means a role, an aspect I suppose," I explain, remembering what Christina told me. Of course, I can't tell him the whole truth, otherwise he'll be in even bigger danger. This secret I'll keep to my grave to protect him.

"What do you mean an aspect?" he asks. I pull mine off, showing him the different patterns. We lean forwards so that we're almost touching; our hands close to one another.

"I'm not sure how to explain it," I frown. "I guess the Mentors wanted to make each one personal and thought of something that was linked to their tribute. Christina thought of intelligence for mine," I lie. Part of it is the truth, the bit about the aspect is anyway. He can never know the truth about how the aspect is linked to the Elders, not whilst he's in here anyway. The minute he knows, he's dead. His ignorance is keeping him alive for now.

"And what does mine mean?" his face is filled with curiosity and it's nice to see the usual frown stripped away. It suits him. It makes him look younger, better looking, than when he's bitter and angry.

"It means strength," I whisper, aware of how close we are. I feel warm all over and almost safe. Almost. "Both mentally and physically," Stanley smiles, and his eyes light up. Sometimes I forget that he's just a kid, like me. He always looks so weighed down by life that it's easy to forget he's just a kid.

"Guess the mentors got it right," Stanley grins. "You are annoyingly smart," I laugh, blushing slightly.

"Only because I can read minds," I wink, trying to act playful. "It's all a pretence," Stanley laughs outright, and he looks amused. As if we're not in a prison. As if he's not being used as bait for me to do the mogs' work. I feel like we're friends right now, instead of arguing about plans of action, of bargains and of whether or not to work for the mogs.

"Do you read everyone's mind?" he asks curiously. "Can you influence them?" he asks. I consider it, thinking through my legacy. It's hard to describe to those who don't have it.

"I can read anyone's mind if I want to," I admit. "But there are some people who are able to put up blocks against mind readers, stop them from reading their thoughts. The mogs must have been taught to do that because it's practically impossible to read a high-ranking officer's mind," I sigh in annoyance. If I could read them, it would make life a hell of a lot easier. Stanley nods, looking thoughtful.

"And can you control them?" he asks. I shake my head; regret coursing through me.

"It would be great if I could but that's another legacy…Convinco or persuasion. I don't have that unfortunately. I can only read minds," I sigh. Stanley nods, taking everything in.

"And me?" he asks softly. "Could you read my mind?" I shrug, a small blush on my cheeks.

"If I wanted to," I whisper. "There aren't any barriers, apart from moral ones," I reply. Stanley frowns, his eyebrows scrunched together.

"Morals? What's that got to do with mind reading?" he asks. I smile, looking down at the pendant in my hand, smoothing my thumb over the pattern.

"It's a violation of the one thing someone has left," I whisper. "Minds should be private and I would never read one against someone's will unless I had to. Unless my life, or someone else's was depending on it," I explain. "I just…I can't violate someone like that. Otherwise I'm no better than the mogs,"

Even when Christina had hidden everything from me, I still couldn't read her mind. I just couldn't. It would be violating her in every way and I couldn't do that to someone I love. Stanley nods, a calm smile on his face. He looks almost impressed and relieved too, as if he was genuinely worried that I was reading his mind.

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but never read my mind," he grins, lightening the tone. "I want that to remain private," he jokes but I can sense the truth in his request. I grin back at him, lightly shoving his arm jokingly.

"Trust me, I would never read your mind," I joke. "I don't think I'd ever want to go in there," Stanley laughs and again I get that feeling. That we're friends. And something more too, but I'm not sure what it is. Whatever it is, I like the feeling. I don't want it to go, ever.

Xxx

The General paces in the room, a smirk on his face. Stanley kneels on the ground, a gun pressed to the back of his head, and despite the blood on his face his lips are twisted up in a snarl. He looks like a rabid dog about to attack and I know that I have to be calm so that I can control the situation. To be honest, I'm surprised Stanley hasn't mouthed off already. Mogs guard the outskirts of the room and my hands are clammy with fear. I'm trying to hide how scared I am but it's hard, especially when Stanley has a gun pressed to his head.

They had attacked in the middle of the night, dragging us out of bed and forcing us into here. It was so unexpected and yet I knew it was going to come. I knew they were going to make me do something, I just thought that I would be summoned to them. Not the other way around. I wonder if it's a mental tactic, to remind us that we're completely at their mercy. Well, it's working.

"What do you want?" I demand, trying to ignore the mad look on Stanley's face. I know that he's desperate to rip these mogs into ash, to kill the General, the second in command to Setrakus Ra. Only…we can't. We don't have our legacies thanks to injecting us with more drugs, our friends are locked up in here and we're outnumbered. We're completely at their mercy.

"Your friends released a cute little video yesterday," the General snarls, his tone not matching his voice. I've never met this mog before but I can tell he's very powerful just by the way the other mogs act around him. "They were fighting Navaria, saying some pretty speeches. Did quite a good job, you know. Made the Loric want to fight…want to _rebel_," he snaps. I can see Stanley smile, and before I can say anything, he talks.

"Made you look bad, huh? Is that why you're worried?" he taunts. One of the mogs punches Stanley and I wince as he tumbles backwards, blood streaming from his nose. Stanley just laughs; I don't think I've ever seen someone so excited by the sight of his own blood.

"We have to retaliate against that video of course," The General continues, as if nothing happened. "And that's when we realised that there hadn't been a public punishment for the arena being broken, for the outright treason that your friends have committed," he says.

"What were you thinking?" I whisper, knowing that I have to be on best behaviour. The gun is still hovering close to Stanley…all it takes is one shot and he's dead. My eyes lock with his and I can tell he wants me to fight, to resist. But he knows that I won't if his life is in the balance.

"We were thinking of a public execution," The General smiles as I gasp, horror flooding through me. "And you're going to be the executioner,"

* * *

**Ok, so I know that was quite a slow chapter, but it's necessary to introduce some events that are coming up. **

**Also, Ella's legacies are now: Telekinesis, telepathy, Dreynen, Aeternus and force fields, as well as something else that you'll find out later. Force field seems a bit random but it will be huge later on in the story.**

**Hope you all enjoyed and please review!**


	44. Chapter 43 - The Capital's Revenge

**Hi guys!**

**So a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it and I love the reviews! I know I always say it but thank you so much to everyone!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Some of the visions in the dreams are coming true, but I won't say which ones will :D**

\- **Ella and Cody's relationship is going to be very up and down, but it's very interesting to write!**

\- **Laadynaty – You're right, in the past story I had said that Sophia could control minds. I had forgotten that I had written that, and the comment in the last chapter was a simple mistake. Thank you for reminding me!**

**Also, I know that there isn't as much action going on at the moment, and no one is obliged to leave reviews (I hate it when people won't update unless they have a certain number of reviews), but I just want to make sure that everyone is still interested in this story? Just to make sure.**

**So a huge thank you and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 43 – The Capital's Revenge

**Marina**

I lie on my bed, staring at my ceiling. My cell is still cold, I'm starting to think it will always be cold, but not because of me this time. They've injected me with a different drug to calm me down and in the process it stopped my legacies. I can't even waste the time by making snowflakes or covering the walls with ice. I hope the drug wears out and they let me have my legacies back, but I'm starting to lose hope. After all, my interview was the day before yesterday and I've been on the drug ever since.

I can't remember much from my interview. I remember talking, but everything was so foggy, and it was so hard to think. Someone was talking in my ear and they were saying things that sounded good to my scrambled mind. I had repeated them, glad that someone had the words, and I didn't look stupid. Thinking back on it now, I know that they did that on purpose. Who knows what I said on the drug? I can't even remember and it was _my_ interview!

The dress is itchy and I fidget, trying to find a more comfortable position. They've put me in the same white gown with the same plait and I know something else is going to happen today. Another interview? Will I be repeating more words that seem good to my jumbled brain? I hope not. I'll comply with anything they want me to do as long as I'm not injected with that hateful drug. I'll even take the one that blocks legacies. I just want to have my mind to myself.

I can hear approaching footsteps and I sit up, making sure that my dress isn't crumpled. I'm sure they'd make me pay for something like that; I'm going to have to be picture perfect. I straighten my plait, as the door is unlocked. I look up calmly and then my stomach turns when I see who it is. Smart mogadorian uniform, cropped hair, and an eye patch that seems at odds with the rest of his look. Cody.

"What are you going here?" I hiss, standing up. I want to attack him but I have no legacies. But my anger is still powerful enough and I can feel my hands curl into fists. Cody watches me carefully, but I can see the fear in his one remaining eye.

"I'm here to take you to Setrakus," he says formally. He reaches out and takes my arm, and I try to jerk away from him in disgust. But he pulls me close and then his lips are at my ear. I'm about to claw at his face in fury when his words stop me.

"I've seen Ella. She's…she's ok," he whispers. I stop, desperate to know more. It must have been just over a week since she came to visit and so much must have happened. The interview for me, and Ella _must_ be working on her plan if she's seen Cody. I have to know how she is!

"And?" I reply. Cody shakes his head, pulling away and I notice some mog guards outside. They'll be watching carefully. I play along and shoot him a disdainful look, as if I can't bear to see him. "I still hate you, you pathetic liar!" I snarl. Cody smiles very quickly but then puts on a look of anger.

"Just follow me," he orders. I stare at him angrily, not having to fake too much but follow him all the same. After all, he knows where Ella is…what's happening to her. Maybe he knows where the others are.

I can feel the mogs behind us as we head away from my cell and to wherever Setrakus is waiting for us. My dress is long and I sometimes trip up in my haste to keep up with Cody. My mind is filled with thoughts of Ella. Is she all right? Why did Cody hesitate when he talked about her? I want to shoot a look behind me to see if the mogs can hear us but then that'll tip them off. I continue to follow Cody, burning with desperation and curiosity when he turns to the mogs.

"Leave us," he orders, looking regal. "I can escort Marina to Our Beloved Leader myself," he says. They look at him for a long moment but then nod all at once; it's not in mog nature to disobey orders it seems, no matter how odd they are. They turn and leave and then it's just Cody and I. We're in a pretty luxurious corridor and I know that we're near our destination.

"Ella?" I demand, crossing my arms. Cody sighs, looking around, and I grab his arm, needing to know. He jumps looking at me in shock. "What's going on with Ella?" I demand. "Tell me!"

"She's ok," he whispers. "But…Setrakus aged her. He needed her legacies," he adds. I frown, not understanding. How can you age someone?

"Aged her…how?" I whisper. Cody looks around again, his face worried.

"He turned her to the age that she would be when she would have all of her legacies, including her master one. She's seventeen now!" he hisses. "She's ok though. Setrakus is desperate for her to be on his side so he won't hurt her," he explains.

I shake my head, horrified. Ella is older? The thought of the little girl being older seems so alien to me, but it must be even harder for her. But the fact that she has her legacies now is good. She'll be so strong and so dangerous once she turns against the mogs. They have inadvertently helped us. Yet…Ella being seventeen seems so weird. It's like a violation on every level. Her age and mind were one of the only things she had to herself in here but even now that's been warped.

"She won't be here today," Cody adds. "But she's all right," Relief rushes through me and I barely notice Cody straighten up. He grabs my arm, dragging me down the corridor. I see two mogs marching towards the same door and I know my time with Cody is almost up.

"Why are you telling me this?" I whisper as he marches me to a door at the end of the corridor. He looks at me briefly; his face conflicted.

"I still hate Stanley more than anything. I'm still with the mogs. They respect me, obey me…" he whispers. "But that doesn't mean anyone should be treated the way that you and Ella have been," He opens the door and pushes me through.

The first thing I notice is Stanley and Sophia. Stanley is kneeling on the ground, tied up and with a bruised face, but he's alive. Sophia stands nearby, her face as blank as I felt when they drugged me and I notice her black trousers and shirt combo, which is different to mine. When Stanley sees me his face lights up, his relief matching mine. Sophia just doesn't seem to notice but I don't even care. I feel tears flood my eyes to see that they're all right, that they're safe and not dead. I had been so worried and I hadn't even realised it. I had been so focused on Joseph that I hadn't realised how scared I was for the others.

"Drug her," Setrakus orders. Before I can react, I'm grabbed and a needle sinks into my arm. I cry out, trying to free myself, but it's too late. The hated liquid is already in my veins and I feel the same weakness, the same sleepy feeling flooding through me. But this time I can think clearly. They must have a range of drugs for different things. Stanley watches me, looking appalled but it's more to do with what's going to happen, not what just happened. Sophia looks as blank as ever, and that's when I see the sword on her belt.

"Let's go," Setrakus grins at the look on my face. "We have a show to begin,"

Xxx

The wind whistles down the Promenade, the same long route that I took for the chariot ride before the Games. The stage that has been set up below the speaking podium at the end of the Promenade is the same stage that they used for the Pairing Ceremony for the 14th Games and the Calling for the 15th Games. There's a huge crowd of mogs that stretches for miles down the promenade, either sat or standing, all desperate to watch the show. Setrakus Ra sits on his throne, looking like some sick king with an annoying smirk. There's a block for executions on the centre of the stage.

I watch as the prisoners are dragged up onto the stage, the cameras zoomed in on their faces to take in every emotion. Every moment will be filmed; every moment will be broadcast to the world. This is the height of entertainment for a population that enjoys watching children kill other children.

I shudder in the cold wind, wishing I could move or speak or do something. But I'm frozen in the stupid chair, not able to fight against the drug that won't let me do anything. I want to intervene, to save the poor people that are going to be executed, but I can't. My body is betraying me when I need it the most. Worst of all, I'm sat next to Setrakus like his little pet in a matching chair and I know that even if I could move, he would freeze me before I could do anything. I'm helpless to watch this.

At least Ella isn't here. At least she's safe in her rooms, not being forced to endure this horror. Cody is nearby, his face blank, but I wonder what he thinks of everything. Whether he supports this or not. I don't know what to think about him anymore, not now that he's told me about Ella. I look around, glad that Stanley isn't here either. He was dragged back to his rooms, but he had put up a fight beforehand. He had been kicking and screaming, desperate to save us from whatever was going to happen, but he couldn't. Not even Stanley can save us from this.

Sophia stands emotionlessly by the block, the huge sword in her hand. She doesn't seem to notice the cheering crowd, the mogs desperate for the show to start. She doesn't even bat an eyelid as the first of her victims is dragged forwards, an old man that can't seem to walk. I see Stanley's features in him at once and I realise with horror that this isn't just a normal execution. This is my friends' family.

"Kneel," the man is forced in front of Setrakus. He's gasping, wheezing, and I feel tears in my eyes. I want to protect him, heal him but I can't. I hope he can at least read the disgust in my eyes and know that I'm a prisoner too.

Three more prisoners are dragged forwards and I shudder as I take in the familiar faces. Stanley's mum, Maren's mum and then I gasp when I see the last prisoner. It's Maren's sister, Catia. She looks so similar to Maren, but the fighting look I'm used to isn't there. She looks scared, and she's shaking as she peers around, as if hoping her sister will come and save her. I think of how much Maren loves her sisters: more than she loves anyone else in the world. This is going to kill her. But her youngest sister isn't here and I wonder if she's being kept as bait.

I hope the mogs burn in hell for this.

My hands shake as the prisoners are forced to kneel in front of Setrakus. The crowd are booing and jeering and I watch, feeling sick, as objects are thrown from the crowd. A rotten tomato hits Stanley's dad and he falls forwards, as tomato juice dribbles down his back. I want to throw up at this display. This is so wrong, so wrong. And I can't do a damn thing! I try to move my arms but they feel so sluggish and won't obey me. I'm forced to sit here on this stupid throne that makes me look like an accomplice and watch this horror show.

Setrakus stands and there's a sudden silence. I watch as Maren's mother tries to reach out for Catia, but she can't reach her daughter because of the handcuffs. I feel a lump in my throat and I watch as Setrakus stands in front of them, a cruel smile on his face. He looks at them, one by one, and they all look at the ground, unable to stare him down.

"Two weeks ago, the tributes of the Games successfully completed their mission of breaking down the arena for the 15th Annual Funeral Games, ending the show abruptly," Setrakus begins to speak and his cold voice sends chills down my spine. "Some have seen the light and begged for forgiveness for their actions," I feel the camera focus on me and I want to scream out that he's lying. But I can only stare ahead.

"Others have not," Setrakus says. He stands in front of Stanley's family. "Your son has refused to accept the merciful pardoning from the Mogadorians and has vowed to burn our population to the ground. He has committed high treason and must be punished," he moves away from them and it is clear that their death will be Stanley's punishment. His mother bursts into tears and the crowd starts to laugh, their jeering louder. I feel bile in my throat.

"And your daughter, your sister," Setrakus stands in front of Maren's family. "Has openly proclaimed herself a leader of a band of rebels. She has produced a video to support the murder of Mogadorian citizens!" The crowd are booing but Maren's mother simply smiles, as if proud of Marne. I would be if I were her.

"As we are unable to punish the rebel herself, we have no other option but to punish you," Setrakus turns from them and heads back to his throne where he sits regally, enjoying his power. I want to kill him. If I could move I would kill him now, no matter what they do to me.

"The punishment is death!" he announces and then crowd start to cheer. I stare at them, unbelieving, not understanding them. What is wrong with them? "Begin!" Setrakus orders.

Sophia comes to life as the mogs drag Stanley's father over to the block. She moves into position, her movements slower than I remember. They've done something to her to make her like this because she's not the girl I know. She grips her sword and the crowd are screaming, cheering. Stanley's father can't even struggle as he's forced into position and I feel tears slipping down my cheeks. Sophia raises the sword over her head.

I shut my eyes when the sword is brought down.

Xxx

**John**

We're back in Commandment once more and I'm sick of it. I swear I seem to spend every day in this room even though every meeting is essential. After being here for nearly two weeks things are starting to heat up in the cities and in the Capital. But still, it would be nice to have the meeting somewhere else. I'm getting sick of being in this cold room, the holographic map of Lorien reflecting how bad things are.

The meeting started off with compliments about how well the video went. After two days of having the video circulated around Lorien, it's clear that it had an even better impact than we hoped. Even Marina's interview hadn't been able to damage the mood and now things are on fire. Literally. The Loric are fighting hard now for freedom and I've heard that Navaria is close to being won by the Loric. And every city counts towards a bigger and bigger victory. We're not close to winning yet but it seems that every Loric has been infected with the desire to fight and I know if we continue to make the right promos, then this feeling will only intensify.

The other videos are coming along well too. In between our training today, we were called out to say a few words about the fallen tributes that we knew. The Mentors had said a few words, but the biggest impact had been from Joseph, Maren and I, about our fellow tributes. I had to speak about Sarah and it had been so painful to talk about her, about our love. Remembering her…remembering everything about her. Thinking of a future without her had broken me. I had been in tears after a few minutes and I'd taken the rest of the afternoon off, Henri joining me for moral support.

And yet…despite the emotion, despite the pain, I feel better. Finally having broken down over Sarah's death has made me feel better, not worse. Being able to speak about her has started to help me heal. I will always miss her, always feel the pain of her presence, will probably always love her, yet it's starting to become easier to deal with. It still hurts but I'm used to the pain now. And the pain is motivation to fight. Because no one should feel like this.

"We're planning on releasing a few videos a day, a constant stream of reminders of what we're fighting for," Henri is saying to Laws, who nods along. "We were also thinking of filming the Elders during their training, to show them working towards a greater good," he explains.

Laws frowns. "I don't mind what videos you make, but we need a lot," she frowns. "The mogs are going to retaliate against the video of the Elders in Navaria and we'll need a constant stream of promos ready for when they do," she sighs, rubbing her temples. "Henri, I'm putting you in charge of the videos: filming, themes, everything," she says. Henri nods and I shoot him a proud grin. He's perfect for the role; he's so organised and controlled, even when things are going badly.

"I also would like to put Katarina in charge of training the Elders," Laws continues. "You'll be working with Mentors Reynolds, Crayton and Sandor," she says. Kat blushes a little with pride, and Maren shoots her a grin.

"How are the weapons coming along?" Laws turns to Sandor next.

"They're almost completed," Sandor replies. "Adam and I will finalise them tomorrow and then we're going to introduce them to training soon," he says. A shiver of excitement races through me at the thought of my very own weapon. I have no idea what it is, what tricks it'll have…but it'll be great to start training with it.

"Good," Laws nods. "Then I believe we're done for today. Keep training," she nods at Maren, Joseph and I, "And keep making the videos. We'll arrange a meeting in a few days to decide whether another trip out to a city is necessary," she nods to Henri. She stands upright, but Maren puts her hand up in a demanding way. I know at once what she wants and a fission of nerves races through me. This is it, the moment to demand a bargain and I'm ready.

"That's all very well," Maren scowls. "Only I have a problem," Laws sighs and sits down, her eyes watching Maren warily. I can tell there's no love lost between either of them and they've only known each other just less than two weeks.

"And what is that?" Laws asks. Maren sets her jaw and I can see real anger in her eyes.

"Why have our friends in the Capital not been granted immediate immunity?" Maren snaps. Laws pales and I can see her hands tighten on her folder, but apart from that there's no outward sign of anger.

"How do you know about that?" she asks coolly. Maren scowls, clenching her hands on the table.

"That's not the point. Why are they even being held responsible? We should be thinking about saving them, not judging them!" I protest before Maren can beat someone up. I can see Henri smiling thinly and some of the other mentors look pretty relieved, even though they're not supposed to. They must have been worried about this too.

"They have committed war crimes!" One of the high-ranking Resistance members protests. I think his name is Commander Whitehall. I often forget about them because they're usually silent, like Laws' shadows. "Particularly Elder Marina! She spoke out for a ceasefire! Who knows what the others will be made to do?"

"She was forced!" Joseph bursts out. "I _know_ her and I know that they made her say it!" Laws raises her eyebrows, crossing her arms.

"And why should we take your word for it?" she asks. "You are a traumatised survivor of the Games. I can hardly call you a credible witness," she remarks calmly. "Besides, I hardly see how she was forced. No one held a gun to her head," Joseph turns red with anger but I lay a hand on his arm, an idea springing to my mind.

"We can't hold them responsible when they had no choice," I say calmly. "Marina spoke directly to Maren and I, but not Joseph. Why?" I ask. There's a silence and then Adelina speaks up, her voice raspy. I think I can see tears in her eyes.

"Because she thinks Joseph is dead," she realises. I nod, the thought that's been plaguing me finally making sense.

"If she thought Joseph was alive, she would appeal directly to him!" I explain. "After all, they're so close, Marina _knows_ that he would listen to her. She knows that if anyone were going to pay attention, it would be him! But the fact that she didn't even say his name makes me think she she's been told he's dead," Laws purses her lips, not believing me, but Maren jumps in before Laws can disregard my theory.

"And if she thinks that, then who knows what else they've told her? That we've given up on her? That we're going to kill her?" she shrugs. "Marina thinks that all she has left is Hector and Ella. Of course she's going to try to keep them alive. They've probably done the same thing to Sophia, Stanley and Ella too," she reasons. Laws sighs, as Commander Whitehall frowns.

"Despite this little theory, that makes no difference," he snaps. "She and the other Elders will be tried in a trial for treason, like _ordinary_ Loric would. Being an Elder does not exempt them from this," he adds. Maren slams her hand on the table, clearly fed up with this discussion.

"Then I'm out!" she yells. "I'm out of this Resistance group that claims to want freedom but won't fight for it!" she snarls. Laws looks shocked and I see that she never ever expected this to happen.

"You would abandon your planet like that?" she asks, her voice barely hiding her anger. Maren flushes, her eyes flashing with rage. "You would give up on the Loric and let the mogs rule?"

"I would leave this place and raise my own army. And they would follow me because they _know_ me. They don't know you. They won't follow you," she hisses. Laws winces and I know that Maren is right of course. The Loric would follow her anywhere because she's the symbol of this fight. Laws isn't; she's might be the President of the Resistance, but outside of this base, she is unknown and just an impressive figure. She's not Maren.

"And I'll join her," Joseph says, his voice hard. I nod, naturally aligning myself with my friends.

"Me too," I feel powerful, especially when I see the disbelief on Laws' face. "Good luck finding Elders for your Revolution," Henri winks at me and I can tell he's glad. Maybe he thought Laws was getting too powerful. Maybe he was just as worried about the other captives as much as I am.

"Fine," Laws purses her lips, and I can read her obvious agitation. "It seems I have no other choice," she rubs her face, and I can tell right now she would be more than fine if we suddenly dropped dead. "We will grant the Captives and your families immunity if they rescued," she sighs.

"_Once,_" Maren interrupts. "_Once_ they are rescued," Laws nods, a resigned look on her face.

"Once they are rescued," she agrees. "They will be granted complete immunity. But they will _only_ be rescued if there is no other choice," she says. I nod, knowing this is the best bet we can get. Maren considers but then nods, a triumphant light in her eyes.

"Deal," I agree. Joseph shakes his head; a firm look on his face.

"You have to make an announcement," he says. "You have to make an announcement in front of the whole of the Resistance," he says. "So everyone can hold you to your word," Maren grins, liking the idea, but I can tell that Laws could quite frankly kill us all right now.

"Fine, I'll make the announcement tomorrow," she stands up, her face pinched. "I now conclude this meeting over," she sweeps away from us and out of the room before we can make her agree to another deal. I share a grin with Maren and Joseph, feeling like for the first time since we got here that we're finally in control.

Xxx

"Man, I'm starving," Joseph grabs his tray from the cafeteria side. "Bargaining really works up an appetite," he grins. I laugh, scanning my ID card and watching as my tray is pushed forwards on the machine. Every meal is catered entirely to each individual person so that we get _exactly _what we need. Maren always gets a smaller amount than Joseph and I because she doesn't need as many calories apparently but we always slip her some of our food.

"You didn't even do most of the bargaining," Maren argues, but she's grinning at him. She grabs our normal table, sitting down.

"Yeah, well, I'm a 'traumatised victim of the Games'," he quotes. "I'm not stable enough to make deals," I roll my eyes, shovelling some food into my mouth as I take in the cafeteria.

There are rows upon rows of tales, and everyone is assigned to one depending on which group of rooms they live in. Since I live close to Maren and Sam's room they share our table. Adam, Sam, and Alicia still aren't here at the moment; they're moving into their new rooms. Alicia and Maren will be together, whilst Adam and Sam will share another room. It's a good arrangement and I know Maren doesn't even mind that much. She doesn't care who she shares with as long as it's not a mog.

Along one wall of the cafeteria is the large buffet bar that scans our IDs and then gives us our tray, and behind the bar are the kitchens where the meals are prepared. There are screens on the walls everywhere so that announcements can be played, or like the other day, our video can be shown. They also show the Capital's promos too, and it works to rile everyone up. I know that the Loric are wound up whenever the Capital broadcasts something.

"What the hell is this supposed to be?" Maren dunks her spoon into the gruel and lifts it up, the food slopping back into the bowel. I shrug, not even caring about the taste. It's warm and fills me up and that's what counts.

There's a burst of noise and I jump up, noticing the screens on the walls come to life. The Loric in the cafeteria look up in interest, it's another promo. It could be one of ours about the fallen tributes but I have a sick feeling that it's not one of our promos. My fears are confirmed when the sign of the Capital appears: it's one of _their_ videos. Laws was right; the mogs _are_ retaliating for the video of Navaria we released only a few days ago. Dread pools in my stomach and I try to keep calm, knowing that the Loric will be looking at us for reactions. We have to set an example.

"What is it this time?" Joseph whispers, his eyes glued to the screen. All good humour has gone and all three of us watch the screen in dread.

I shake my head, watching as the sign disappears and then the camera zooms over a huge crowd, stretching for miles along the promenade in the Capital. It finally draws to a stop when it reaches a stage by the Temple, but what I see doesn't make sense. Setrakus is sitting on a throne with Marina sitting on one next to him. But that doesn't look like Marina; she's so silent and still and her face is blank. Joseph's hands clench into fists and I see Maren gently wrap her arm around him, to comfort him.

Cody stands on the stage too, an eye patch over his eye. I wonder how he got that but then I don't have time to care because the camera zooms in on Sophia, who stands nearby. She's stood by an execution block and has a sword in her hand. She looks as blank as Marina, her face cold and emotionless. A horrible feeling starts to hit me, especially when I notice mogs moving forwards, dragging prisoners between them. But it's not Stanley or Ella.

"Come on, let's go," I say, grabbing Maren's arm. I have to get them out of here now. She shakes me off, her own face filled with morbid curiosity and she moves closer to one of the screens, barely aware of the crowd watching her. They don't know what to think, but they can tell something bad is happening.

On the screen, four prisoners are forced to kneel in front of Setrakus as he says some words. We can't see their faces but I can hear every word Setrakus says and I realise that the older pair are Stanley's parents. And the woman and girl…Maren's face suddenly freezes when she recognises her mother and sister on the stage. She takes in the execution block and the sword in Sophia's hand and she stumbles.

"What's going on?" she turns to me, her eyes frantic. She's swaying, unsteady, and I grab her arm to keep her upright. "John, what are they going to do?" her voice verges on hysteria but I can only shake my head, tears in my eyes. She knows exactly what they're going to do.

Setrakus finishes his speech and then Sophia moves into action, positioning herself for the kill as Stanley's father is dragged forwards. I can't watch, no matter how much of an example I have to set. I turn away, bile in my throat as she kills him, the sound making me feel sick. The Loric in here are shouting, yelling angrily as Stanley's mum is dragged forwards and then murdered. This is too far, too bad. The mogs will never be able to come back from this. But none of that matters when I see Maren next to me. She stands as still as a statue, her face white. She must know what's coming.

"John, we need to get her out of here!" I turn to see Joseph standing upright, looking frantic. He's right; Maren can't see this. She's shaking and looks like she's about to breakdown when her mother is dragged forwards. I grab her arm and try to drag her away, but she fights back, as if suddenly coming to her senses.

"Let me go!" she screams. She turns back to the screen, her face horrified. Her mother is dragged forwards towards Sophia. I grab her again, trying to get her out of here, and Joseph joins me about to teleport her out. I try to force Maren's head away from the screen so she can't see. Joseph teleports in front of her, blocking her view.

Then there's the sound of a sword hitting the block on the screen. Maren breaks free of my grip. We all look up to see Maren's mother falling to the ground, dead.

Maren loses it. She starts to scream, a horrible wailing sound, and I lift her up to get her out of here. She thrashes around, her efforts intensified when she sees her sister on the screen, dragged forwards. I try to drag Maren away but she was always so strong. Joseph tries to teleport her out but she hits him so hard that he falls to the ground, dazed. I grab her around the waist, trying to heave her onto my shoulder as Loric run towards us to help. I see some try to turn the screens off but it's too late of course.

I can't stop Maren watching as her sister is killed. All I can see on the screen is blood.

She suddenly loses all fight in her and sags towards the floor, in a half-faint. I catch her at once, shooting a look of alarm towards Joseph, who watches helplessly. She starts to scream, putting her head in her hands and I kneel in front of her, desperate to help, desperate to stop the heart-breaking sound. I think she's really lost it this time. So I just act as I would have done if it was Sarah in front of me. I wrap my arms around her and she clings to me, her tears soaking into my shirt.

Xxx

**Adam**

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I feel honoured. I'm sat in John and Joseph's room, with Alicia and Sam nearby, and it feels pretty normal. I thought the Garde had started to accept me but being invited to their room for their small evening conferences makes me feel as if I've joined a special club. It's the first time in my life where I feel like I've truly belonged somewhere.

"I spoke to Henri," John enters the room, looking exhausted. He has faint scratches on his face and a bruise on his cheek, probably from when he was trying to secure Maren. "He says they're going to keep Maren in the hospital for the next few days, make sure she's stable," he sits down heavily.

"Katarina's with her," Sam adds. "I think she's the one person Maren would listen to when she wakes up anyway," he shrugs, rubbing his temples.

"She'll be fine," Alicia straightens up, knowing what it's like to lose a sister. "Maren is tough, if anyone can handle it, it'll be her," Joseph shakes his head, rubbing his face. He's got a killer bruise from where Maren hit him and John heads over, healing him within seconds. Whenever I see a legacy it always awes me, even though I know that I technically have one now.

"I don't know," Joseph sighs. "She was so close to her sisters…seeing them killed on TV…I don't know how she'll cope," Alicia scowls, looking down at her hands, and I know how personal this conversation is for her. She's been through the same thing.

"Yeah, well she's not the only person to watch their sister being murdered on TV," she snaps, standing upright. "At least she gets support and sympathy," she marches out of the room, slamming the door behind her, making us jump. John watches her go, a confused look on his face.

"Should we go and talk to her?" he asks me. I wonder why he thinks I would know and then I realise that none of us really know her apart from me. And even that's because of Hannah. Alicia is as much a stranger as I am.

"No, let her mope," I shrug. "If she's anything like Hannah, nothing anyone will say will make her happier. I'll talk to her in the morning," Joseph smiles, looking the tiniest bit amused.

"Well I guess there goes our plan for heading to another city soon for another promo video," he quips. Sam laughs without thinking, before trying to look serious again. Maybe he feels guilty for laughing when Maren is so miserable right now.

"We should have known," John sits down, looking guilty. It's as if he blames himself for what has happened. "We should have known that the mogs would do this," he shakes his head.

"It's not your fault," I say at once. "The mogs always do this. They know how to exploit people's weaknesses. There's nothing you could have done," I sigh. John's chimaera jumps up and curls up next to his Garde, comforting him. I wish I had a chimaera; they look like a great companion to have. Now that Hannah's left me, I feel so lonely, even now in a room full of people. I just want to share my mind with something again.

"Well there's nothing we can do about it now, apart from making a great promo video for the Resistance," Joseph says, looking determined. His chimaera is already asleep on his bed, apparently not concerned by the fuss. "Maren will want to take revenge for this,"

"They didn't kill her youngest sister either," Sam points out. "They'll be keeping her as bait,"

"That's probably the one thing that'll keep Maren going," John says. "I guess the only thing we can do now is be supportive and make great promos," he sighs.

"She's not the only one I'm worried about though," Sam sighs. "Sophia just obeyed the orders, as if all her conscience had gone! It was crazy!" I shake my head, not surprised. I don't know this Sophia girl but I do know the mogs.

"Trust me, if the mogs want to control someone and make them do something, they can get it done if they have the right motivation," I say. "Or, if they need to, the right drugs,"

"Did you see Marina's face?" Joseph sighs. "I didn't want to mention it earlier because of the whole Maren situation, but I can't help but be worried about her. She didn't even react," he chews on his lip.

"They've definitely drugged her," I say. "The mogs have developed these drugs to control you so you obey orders but don't think," I shrug. "And drugs to block legacies for short amount of times," I explain. Joseph's hands are shaking slightly, and I can see just how much he's trying to hide his fear.

"Hey, it'll be ok," John tries to reassure him. "She's smart, and knows how to handle herself," Sam nods in agreement, an earnest look on his face.

"Besides, they won't want to hurt her for Ella's sake," he adds. Joseph looks at me and I can see it's my reassurance he really wants because I know the mogs. I know why they're doing this. I know their reasons, their ideas and their beliefs.

"I'd be glad that they're putting her on camera," I say. "Because that means they think she can be easily controlled. And that means that she's not a danger to them, which means she'll stay alive," Joseph nods, relaxing back onto his bed, and John shoots me a smile. It seems that my reassurance was the most effective.

"And Stanley?" Sam asks. "No one has seen him," Their faces turn serious again and I decide to change the subject. They all look so down, so miserable and I can understand. Every time they think something is finally going their way, the mogs fight back and make their lives hell, by hurting or threatening their friends, or killing people they love.

"Your weapons will be ready for tomorrow's training session," I say. "Sandor says you can start to use them in training," Joseph's face lights up at once.

"What are they?" he asks curiously.

"Oh no, you'll have to wait for the grand reveal," I grin. John groans comically and Joseph chucks a pillow at me but I dodge. The teasing is so friendly, and so light-hearted; I'm not used to it. Ivan and I never would joke around like this. Joking for Ivan was punching and hitting.

"Are you going to join us in training now?" John asks. "You have legacies, you should learn how to use them," he insists. I shrug, unsure of where I stand now that I'm done with the weapons.

"I'm not sure. Sandor and I haven't had new commissions yet, but from now on he's working with you guys," I say uncertainly. John strokes his chimaera's head, a smile on his face.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure that you join us. You have legacies and Laws needs to accept that, even if she doesn't like it," he says determined. "Besides, it's what Hannah would want," I ignore the flash of pain at the sound of her name. Hannah. I haven't had time to think about her in so long but the pain is always there, always constant. I don't think it will ever leave. Is that how it feels for John and Joseph too? Because then we have more in common then they might think.

"Thanks, that would be great," I push my thoughts to the side for now. Joseph sits upright, his chimaera sitting on his lap now, in the shape of a Labrador.

"Reynolds could work with you if I ask him," he offers. "He's great at honing legacies, and would probably love working with a new one. If you want of course," he grins. I blush, feeling overwhelmed at their generosity and I smile, nodding eagerly.

"Yeah, that would be great," I smile. Sam smiles too, standing upright.

"Come on, time to go to bed," he sighs. "It's been another long day and I'm sure tomorrow will be hell when Maren wakes up," The mood sobers up at once and I feel awkward, desperate to leave and I can tell I'm not the only one. Deep down, I wish Hannah were here, to make a joke or something to lighten up the mood. Everything that happened today just reminded me about her more than ever. I just want her back.

That's impossible of course. Which makes it worse.

* * *

**So, hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review! They mean a lot to me! **

**Thank you!**


	45. Chapter 44 - Retaliation

**Hi guys!**

**So a ****_huge_**** thank you to the massive response I got for the last chapter. I really, really appreciate it and I loved getting all of the reviews, so thank you! **

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Honestly, don't worry if you don't review every chapter, I understand that everyone has a lot to do and you're not obliged to review, but thank you to everyone who does! I just hope that everyone enjoys this!**

\- **So I know this story is dark and I will try to make it light-hearted when I can. It's a bit hard at the moment but later on it should be easier**

\- **For the POVs, there are two groups and they swap every chapter. So they'll appear in one chapter, then skip the next and then be back again. It's the only way to fit everything in.**

\- **Maren will be depressed for a bit but then after that she's going to be deadly. This is literally the last straw for her.**

**So once more thank you to everyone who reviewed and read this, and I love getting the reviews! So thank you!**

**Also, this story will be ending soon and then there will be a third. This story will go to about 50 chapters and then the new one will begin. **

**Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 44 – Retaliation

**Maren**

I never realised how similar grief was to fear. It's like a constant presence; it weighs down on you, burdens you and makes it impossible to do things. It's like there's something heavy tied to you but you can't escape it, can't get free from it even though you can't see it. And yet no matter how much I want to cry, I can't. I simply stare at the ceiling, feeling numb, disbelieving. As if yesterday was just a bad dream.

My chimaera in a cat form, sits by my side as if to protect me. I called her Lyn, after my mother, because saying Catia or Lilia hurts too much. My mother and I, we'd always had an agreement to protect my sisters together, to look after them. We had a pact, a sort of alliance to make sure they were never hungry. Even when I was called for the Games, it would have been worse if it was Lilia or Catia because they could never protect themselves. My mother and were equals; for some reason her death never seemed as terrible because I knew she could defend herself. She would fight for her survival.

But my sisters? Lilia, Catia? Both were so gentle, so sweet. Catia knew the truth about the world and she was so clever, but even then she could never kill a mog, not like my mother would have. Not like I have. And Lilia? She was too gentle for this world. She never even imagined that people could be cruel, that they could hurt other people for fun. And now she's locked away in a cell in the Capital, alone and terrified. The bastards wouldn't even let them stay together.

The door opens and I look up blearily to see John by the doorway. I'm surprised it's not Kat. She's been sat with me ever since I woke up two days ago, making me eat, trying to get me to talk. It's been comforting having her here next to me, neither of us arguing, yet her presence painfully reminds me of my now dead mother.

"Hey," John inches inside. "I decided to sit with you. Kat wanted to but she needed to sleep," he says gently. I nod, my hand lightly stroking Lyn, who stretches out beside me. My chimaera has decided the best way to make me feel better is to stay by my side constantly.

"How's training going?" I ask as he draws up a chair, wanting to talk about something different. His hair is slightly darker, a little damp from the shower he just had. It must be evening already and he must have finished with training for today.

"Good," John smiles. "Adam and Sandor are done with our special weapons, but we thought we'd wait for you for the big reveal," He says. I shake my head, just feeling numb.

"The doctors are going to release me tomorrow," I say, my voice rough. "I'll join you then for the weapons," I say. John reaches out and takes my hand, his face filled with sympathy.

"Hey, you come when you're ready to," he says gently. "Joseph and I agreed, we don't give a damn about our weapons as long as you're ok," I shake my head, gritting my teeth.

"I want to get back to training," I insist. "I want to ignore things, get back to normal," John bites his lip, looking at the ground. I can tell he wants to argue but doesn't want to push me. It's scary how easily I know him and then it strikes me that he must know me perfectly as well.

"Henri had an idea about a video," John says softly. "To fight against the…the other one," he whispers. I feel another surge of pain in my chest but no tears form in my eyes. It's like I can't cry, even though I want to.

"Yes?" I ask, my voice thick and raspy.

"He was thinking of showing us training, with our chimaera, with one another," he explains. "We didn't want to send you out into the cities, not yet," he adds delicately. I snort, turning to stare at him directly.

"Come on John, how is seeing a video of us mucking about going to boost moral and motivate Loric to fight?" I ask, almost angry. "The mogs won this round and they know it," I turn away from him, feeling hopeless. I feel a grip on my hand and am surprised to see John taking my hand in his, his face fierce.

"If you think like that then they _have_ won," he says, his voice strong. "But if we show them a video of us laughing, training, preparing to fight back then that shows that nothing can bring us down. It's just as good as sending us off to a city to kill mogs, if not better! We become approachable, _good people!" _he says fiercely. I want to listen to his words, I really do but I find it so hard when I'm locked in my grief. I just feel hopeless, as if there's no solution, no answer for our problems.

"But every time we release a video someone we love will be punished for it," I whisper weakly. "My sister, Lilia…" I swallow hard. "She's still in there, John! She's still in the Capital!"

John looks at me earnestly. "Maren, if we don't fight back they'll kill them anyway," he says, not seeming upset by the topic. Anger suddenly races through me. It's all right for him! No one he loves is in danger!

"Easy for you to say when they're not using anyone against you!" I snap. "Easy for you to say when you're untouchable!" John's face pales and he leans back, his eyes showing just how much I hurt him.

"I've lost family too. I've lost people I love," he says evenly. "You're not the only one that's hurting," he looks down and I feel guilty, knowing he's just trying to help. And all I do is throw it back in his face, make him feel worse. Not only has he lost his grandparents, but he's suffering from Sarah's loss too. But he's dealing with it maturely, unlike me. I always do things wrong and always say the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I shouldn't have said that…I know you still miss her," He swallows and I can see a few tears in his eyes, mostly hidden by his long eyelashes.

"It's not so bad now," he replies, looking away from me. "Not so bad when we have a cause…something to fight for. Makes it easy to bury the pain when there's stuff to do," his gaze meets mine. "Besides, the grief…the pain. It reminds me of why we need to fight. To stop feelings like this being normal. So that death isn't accepted as a form of punishment or used to hurt people," he says. "So that more people don't die for any reason,"

I look at him closely, at his refusal to give up despite everything. I should be like that too. I should be as strong as him, vowing to fight back and make them pay. My family's death should have made me stronger, not weaker. Fewer people to worry about in the grand scheme of things. But instead, it worked just how Setrakus wanted it to. The mogs killed my family to make me like this, to make me want to give up. And if I just sit here and feel sorry for myself, I'm letting the mogs win.

And I can't let them win. I have to kill them all.

"Does it get easier?" I ask softly. "The grief?" John smiles gently at me, brushing some hair away from my face. I'm surprised by the gesture but in a pleasant way. It's nice, comforting.

"No," he says honestly. "The grief always stays. But it gets easier to ignore," I nod, wondering if I feel better, but I just feel the same. But if John says it gets easier, then it must do. He's never lied to me before and I know he wouldn't start now.

"Thanks for being honest," I whisper. "I appreciate that," John nods, his hand still holding mine.

"Do you think you will help us with the video?" he asks. "You'd be a great help. After all…you're the one who lost their mother and sister," he says, not afraid to say the things that most wouldn't dare to say. I take a deep breath, finally feeling warmth in my eyes, as if I'm about to start crying.

"I know," I whisper, feeling an ache in my chest. "And I will help," Lyn licks my other hand, as if pleased that I'm doing the right thing. "Even if that'll mean Lilia or our friends will be punished," I say, my voice shaking with tears. John shakes his head, gently stroking my cheek, as if to comfort me.

"Hey, we're doing it _for_ them," he insists. "They would understand," he says and I know he's right. It doesn't mean that I feel better though. "We can't let the mogs kill and not get away with it," he says softly. I nod, feeling tears in my eyes, but I try to blink them away. I haven't cried before and I won't cry now.

"You really think a video of us training will work?" I ask. "Us talking about those we've lost, about preparing for the war and making the mogs pay will work?" I ask. John nods, a confident look on his face, but I can't share the feeling.

"I think it will work better than you think," he says.

I nod, and then it's like I can't hold the tears back any longer. I begin to cry, sobs wracking my chest. I pull my hand away from John's, covering my face in embarrassment at him seeing me like this. But John doesn't seem to care. He leans forwards, wrapping his arms around me like he did a few days ago when the video aired, and I begin to sob into his neck, getting his shirt wet.

"I'm sorry," I gasp, trying to control my tears. "I'm being stupid," I stutter. John strokes my hair, laughing softly. By the way his arms are wrapped tightly around me, I think he needs this hug as much as I do. And it's one of the best feelings ever.

"Maren, the last thing you are is stupid," he says gently. "It's ok to grieve, it's ok to be upset," he whispers. I shake my head, pulling away and wiping at my eyes. I need to be stronger, not weak. Not now when they need me.

"Not in the middle of a war," I insist. "Not when we have to fight," John shakes his head, gripping me by the shoulders and staring me straight in the face.

"_Even_ in the middle of a war," he says firmly. "We need you to fight but I couldn't bear it if you didn't heal before fighting with us," he says. He gently wipes the tears from my cheeks.

"Really?" I whisper softly. He nods, a smile on his face.

"Really," he vows. "You can grieve all you want," he says gently. "It'll take time. You'll have low moments and then high moments, and then will feel low again. It won't just disappear after one conversation," he says, so wisely. "You'll might have forgotten, even if only for a second. But it will never go. Not for a long time," I smile for the first time in what feels like forever, Lyn curled up in my lap as if to comfort me too.

"Since when are you so wise?" I ask and John laughs, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not wise," he replies. "I've just lost the people that I love so I know what it's like. But I _promise_ you that it gets better to live with. And crying makes you feel a lot better, trust me," he winks. I smile again, a feeble smile, but it's one all the same.

"Thanks John," I whisper. "You're such a good friend," he grins, shrugging, but I can see a little blush on his cheeks.

"Well, so are you," he replies. "And what matters to me, more than any videos and this war is that you get better," he says softly. I can see why Sarah fell so hard for him in this moment; he's such a sweet guy. And I'm so, so glad that he's not in the Capital too. I think if he were, that would kill me.

"Come on then," I sit up, taking a deep breath. "I'll do as you say and try and forget them for now. Let's really get this war started. Let's go make that video,"

I'm rewarded with the sweetest smile and it makes me feel all the more better. It even makes me forget my grief, even if only for a few precious moments.

Xxx

**Ella**

I sit in the uncomfortable dress, the material heavy and rich against my skin. It's a fancy, floor-length dress that I've seen the female mogs wear to formal events, but I hate it. Give me jeans and a t-shirt any day. But I know that as Setrakus' granddaughter and official heir, I don't have a choice. Especially as I'm trying to play along with the mogs and fool them into believing me as an ally.

"This is civilised," Cody paces by the windows, his face scrunched up as he takes in the fancy table. It's been decked out with our evening meal; beautiful china, elegant glasses and plates piled high with food that's been covered to keep the heat in.

"I thought you'd be used to this," I retort. Cody stops, placing his hands on the back of a nearby chair. His grip is tight by the look of his white knuckles.

"You think I've had it easy?" He challenges me. "You think that I've had it easy whilst you've all been suffering?" he snaps. I can see the Capital framed in the setting sun out of the windows behind Cody and the light makes him look ominous, scary.

"_You_ didn't have to go back in the Games! _You_ got to laze around and order the mogs about! That's not tough!" I snap. Cody's face goes rigid with anger and I can see just how close to snapping he is.

"_I_ had to kill my Mentor, Albert, because of them!" he yells. _"_Then they killed my second mentor Ethan in front of me because of what Marina did to me! Because I was weak! I've had it _just_ as bad!" he yells. I stare at him, confused and shocked. I never knew he had to kill his mentor and I didn't realise that the mogs punished him by killing this Ethan guy for something that he didn't even do. Suddenly, I can't help but feel a little bit sorry for him.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I didn't realise," Cody's face is filled with surprised suspicion, as if expecting me to be lying to him. I wonder if there really is hope for Cody. Maybe he can change. Maybe he can join the Loric.

"It doesn't matter," Cody snaps, straightening up, like his defences are snapping up again. "I don't need your sympathy. I don't _want_ it," he snarls. He turns away, facing the window and I'm left staring at his back.

"I know," I say softly. "But I wanted to thank you for the other day when you saved me. And all I did was use Dreynen on you and hurt you," I say, my cheeks red with shame. I hear him sigh but he doesn't turn around, and I can't tell what he's thinking.

"You're welcome," he says. "It's what Marina would have wanted," I look up, confused by his words. Why would he do anything she wants? I would have thought Cody hates Marina for what she did to him. I would have thought if he'd want anyone dead it would be her.

"I haven't seen her in so long," I whisper, looking down at my hands. "She doesn't even know that I've been aged" I wish that she were here, that we could look out for each other, but she's still locked away. I wonder how she's coping with Joseph's death, if she's even coping at all.

"She's ok" Cody replies. "I told her about the aging thing," he sighs. I look up, meeting his eyes frantically.

"And?" I demand. If Marina is horrified then I don't know if I can cope. I don't know if I can stand to see her upset because of me.

"And she doesn't care. As long as you're safe, she doesn't care," he replies. I relax back in the chair, relieved that she isn't revolted as I'd worried. I'd been so scared that she would be disgusted by my appearance, by my change that she wouldn't want to be friends anymore, as harsh as that sounds. But it seems like she doesn't care. That she just wants me to be happy.

"Besides," Cody draws up a chair. "It's not that odd to see you like this," he shrugs. I frown, looking up from playing with a silver spoon. It shines brightly in the light from the crystal chandeliers above my head.

"What? Older?" I ask. Cody nods, and there's a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, it suits you," he replies. "Ever since the Games you've aged, and acted way older than you looked," he shrugs. "It's like your appearance has caught up with you. If someone met you now, they wouldn't even realise that you should be 13,"

Hearing that from him makes me feel better and I offer him a small smile. It's only a small truce, but it's better than hating one another. Before I can reply, the door opens and Setrakus marches in. He looks as terrifying as ever but after hearing that Marina still accepts me, still loves me, and then hearing Cody promise me that I suit my age, nothing can shake me for the moment.

"I see you're already seated," Setrakus notices me, gesturing for Cody to sit down opposite me whilst Setrakus sits at the head of the table. I shrug, feeling disgusted when I stare at him. I still can't truly believe he is my grandfather, not after everything he's done.

"I didn't know how long you would be and I was bored," I reply, my tone slightly insolent. Setrakus sighs and I can tell he's not in a good mood. Normally he lets me backchat him and he accepts it almost good-naturedly. As if he likes my spirit. But today he's worked up, almost nervous, and I wonder what happened. Did the rebels release another video, to combat the brutal one the mogs aired a few days ago? I hope they did. I hope they make the mogs pay for what they did. Making Sophia kill those prisoners whilst Marina had to watch on, unable to do anything makes me feel an anger so intense that I have to take deep breaths to calm down.

"How are your legacies coming along?" Setrakus asks me. I poke at the food in front of me, not hungry, but knowing that I should eat in case he gets angry.

"They're not so bad," I shrug. "I've had to practice with that instructor you sent me," I scowl. I hate the mogs instructors, who think training a legacy is easy. They have no idea what it's like and I wish Crayton were here to help. He would know what it's like to hone a legacy; he would understand the difficulties. And he would treat me nicely; protect me from the monsters here. But he's safe, thousands of miles away, and probably fighting for Lorien. He has bigger things to worry about.

"My instructor tells me you were uncooperative," Setrakus raises an eyebrow. I shoot him a glare, feeling tired and grouchy.

"He doesn't know what it's like to have a legacy!" I retort. Setrakus lowers his spoon slowly and I cower back, expecting a form of punishment. But Cody jumps in, surprising me again by defending me.

"She's right, sir," he says. "The instructors here don't have an idea of honing legacies," he says quickly. "I could train her or try to help her at least," he suggests.

Setrakus laughs spitefully. "But you don't have the legacies she has," he replies. "And you are far weaker," Cody winces and I see some dark emotion brewing behind his eyes.

"Yes sir, I know," he says, trying to be calm. "But I've had more experience of training with mentors who understand legacies, who know them. I could try to emulate that with Ella," Setrakus considers it and then nods sharply, his face thoughtful.

"Fine, but the practices will be supervised by camera," he says. Cody smiles slightly and I feel a sense of victory for him, even though the idea of practising with Cody annoys me. I suppose it could be worse; I could be training with a mog.

"Granddaughter, it has come to my attention that you are still refusing to read the Great Book," Setrakus begins, his tone trying to be patient but I can hear the anger. I shrug, trying to be strong and insolent, but deep down I feel dread in my stomach. Can't I just have one day where I'm not being told what to do or threatened with punishment if I don't do it?

"I don't want to read a manual that's meant to brainwash me," I snap. "It's a load of crap," Cody pales, from anger or fear I'm not sure, and Setrakus lowers his cutlery, anger on his face.

"The Book contains history that you have been denied by you race!" he snaps. "It contains truths that your people would rather you not know!" he snaps.

"Oh yeah, like what?" I retort. "It's all lies, all pathetic lies to make your massacre for power look noble!" Setrakus' face turns deadly calm and I shudder despite myself, forgetting just how terrifying he can be. But I don't regret what I said. Every word was the truth.

"The Loric claim that they were not controlled but it's a lie!" he says calmly, but that sounds even scarier than when he's shouting. "Lorien controlled them! Lorien chose the Elders to rule the people and then chose who was a Garde and who was a Cepan! No one ever gets a choice on this planet!" he points out, but it's just rubbish.

"_You're_ the one who's power-mad, not Lorien!" I argue.

"And your friends aren't?" he asks angrily. "Your friends who are the Elders of Lorien?" he asks coldly. I stare at him, shocked. I didn't know there even were Elders anymore, let alone my friends. "Did you know they have a special charm attached to them? A charm of protection," he grins. I shake my head, confused.

"What are you talking about?" I ask softly. Setrakus smiles, triumphant.

"Your friends have been selected by Lorien as the future Elders of Lorien and because they were chosen, a charm was placed on them by the planet. To protect them unless they forsake their duty of being an Elder or behaved in such a way to deny protection," he laughs. "Had you ever wondered why they were so lucky? Why they were never killed, not even in the Anniversary Games?" I shake my head, refusing to let his words get to me.

"They're not immortal or immune from death, otherwise you wouldn't be threatening to kill them every day," I point out. "They can still be killed and you know it. They were just strong in the Games," Setrakus sighs, a hissing sound through his teeth.

"No, they're not immortal or immune from death," he agrees. "But it's rather unfair, don't you think, to have nine children safer than most? To give them a slight advantage," he snarls.

"So what, they were charmed? I don't see how that's bad," I retort. "In fact, I think it's kind of great!" I steel myself, taking a breath so I don't lose sight of my conviction.

"Lorien has selected certain Loric to be protected whilst others are left to die! Like you!" he shouts. "And you say your planet is _fair?"_ he shouts. I've never seen him lose so much control before and I think he's gone mad.

"My planet chose them because they were in the Games because of _you!_ My planet would never have had to do that if not for you and your Games!" I yell. "Lorien protects us all!" I shout in outrage. "The only tyrant I see around here, is _you!"_

Setrakus turns white with anger and Cody sucks in a breath, staring at me in shock. I know I crossed the line but it's bad enough being locked up in this hellhole, hearing about how wonderful Setrakus is when he's a murderer. But it's a different thing entirely when he trash talks my planet just because he believes he's been mistreated. Setrakus shakes his head, standing up, and I feel nervous. I couldn't help myself though; he was speaking such rubbish

"Then if you love Lorien so much, then I'll let you be like an Elder," Setrakus snarls. "You won't mind then if I give you a charm, just like one Lorien gave to your friends," he grins cruelly. I try to get up, my chair falling backwards in my hurry, recognising the look in his eyes. It's the same one he had when he aged me. Setrakus raises his hand, a red glow emitting from his palm and panic races through me. I turn to run when the red light hits my ankle.

I fall to the ground, screaming in pain as a sort of scar burns itself into my leg. My dress doesn't catch on fire but I feel like it should from the heat of the scar. I writhe around, trying to escape the pain that is so similar to the agony I felt when he aged me. Then the pain suddenly disappears and I'm left with a scar encircling my ankle, the skin sore and tender. I gently touch it, tears streaking down my cheeks. The pain is so bad that I think I might faint.

"What is this?" I whisper, horrified. "What have you done to me now?" I yell, anger and hatred burning within me. Cody watches, his mouth open in horror, and when he looks at Setrakus I think I see hatred in his eyes too.

"Now you and I are connected by more than blood, _granddaughter,_" Setrakus says, his face set in a scowl. "Now we truly are joined. Just as Lorien would have wanted,"

Xxx

**Stanley**

My hands are broken and bloody, the skin torn over my knuckles but I can't seem to feel the pain. I stare at the concrete walls around me, the smears of my blood visible on the white-painted walls. My right shoulder hurts with a dull ache from throwing myself over and over against the iron bars, but despite my strength, they didn't break. I'm back in my old cell, the one they put me in before Sophia got us the deal, and I'm glad. I don't want to be in the same room with _her_ after what she did.

"Let me out of here!" I yell, slamming my fists against the bars again. I barely even feel the pain, even though I know it's going to hurt like hell later on. One of the mogs outside my cell slams his baton against the bars, as if that's going to intimidate me.

"Shut up!" he snarls. "Or I'll kill you myself," he adds. I laugh mockingly, anger and hatred pulsing through me.

"Yeah right," I sneer. "You'd get your little _pet_ to do it," Opposite me in her own cell, Sophia winces, looking sick. She turns to me, as if to plead or apologise like she's been doing for the past few days ever since she killed my family. But I don't want to hear it.

"Stanley, please," she begs me. "They drugged me! I didn't know what I was doing until I woke up and then I saw the blood on my hands!" she says desperately. "I had no idea they would make me do that," I laugh bitterly, my hands curling around the bars. It's hard to tell whether I hate her or the mogs more.

"You know they would ask you to do something!" I yell at her. "I told you that they would make you do terrible things! And now my parents are dead because of you!" I feel a dull ache in my chest when I say that but the usual anger and hatred soon overcomes the pain. Sophia winces, cowering away from my anger.

"I didn't realise they were going to make me do this," she whispers. "I thought they meant videos, or interviews…not executions," she looks pale and sick but I try not to feel sympathetic for her. They dragged me parents in front of her on TV and filmed her killing them. I should _not_ pity her.

"Well you thought wrong," I snarl. "And now my parents are dead," She winces and presses her hands against her face as she begins to cry.

I move away from the bars, refusing to let her crying get to me. Part of me knows I'm being unreasonable, that my anger and hatred for the mogs is being transferred onto her because she's an easy target. She _was_ drugged by the mogs; I saw them inject her with that stuff. I remember her trying to escape beforehand but there were too many of them and she couldn't run in time. I saw the video, her blank face, her robotic movements. I know that she had no idea what was going on until the drug wore off. And I know she was doing it for me: to keep me alive.

Yet my parents are still dead. They were so fragile and weak, and so defenceless. They were locked up in here and killed on TV because of what I did. And Sophia might have just made things even worse for Loric fighters and I don't want her saying she did it for me; I don't want something else to be my fault. I know that deep down I'm not angry with her; I'm angry at myself for putting my own parents in this situation.

I pace around my cell, my mind spinning with thoughts. I start to do press-ups, to cope with everything. I want a physical outlet but I know the mogs will never let me train. I continue to do press-ups, ignoring the suspicious looks from the mogs. My arms soon begin to burn but it feels good, so good to be doing something.

Press-ups, pacing and sit-ups consume my day. Sophia still doesn't try to talk to me and I refuse to speak to her, and I continue to do press-ups. My arms are shaking after a few hours but I know that if I keep this up, I'll only get stronger. If only I had my legacies to escape and then knock down this building. If only I could kill them all.

I hear a movement from the end of the corridor and I move closer to the bars, wondering who it is. The guards are going because apparently guarding us is boring work but before they go, they bring us a tray of food each. Dinner. Good, I'm starving. I watch as they push the tray under a small hatch, the tray making a grating noise against the concrete floor. Sophia has got her own food but she doesn't look like she wants to eat it. She looks ill, shivering with her knees drawn to her chest. Despite myself, I feel a surge of pity towards her.

"You've got to eat," I say at last. She looks at me in surprise and I can see the red rims around her eyes. She's not used to guilt, not like me. Guilt constantly plagues me, but I've learnt to deal with it. But Sophia clearly isn't coping at all.

"I don't want to," she replies. "I'm not hungry," I sigh, wishing that I could get rid of my pity but I can't. Here is the girl that murdered my parents and all I feel is sympathy. She's just as much a victim as me. Deep down I know it, but I don't know what to think. It would have just been easier if she had done it of her own free will; then it would be easy to hate her.

"If I could go back in time, I wouldn't make the deal," she finally says. "If I knew what they were going to make me do, then I would never have agreed," she whispers. The corridor is empty and it feels private, but I can only imagine the security around this place.

"It's too late to say that," I reply harshly. "You still killed my parents. Maren's family too," Sophia shudders, drawing her knees up to her chin.

"And you don't think I hate myself for it?" she snaps. "I killed them and I can't remember even doing it! You don't think I hate myself for killing innocent people!" It's almost a relief to see her fiery nature back, even if I don't know how I feel about her.

"You _should_ hate yourself!" I snap back. "Murdering people in cold blood," I shake my head in disgust. "They were my _parents!"_ Sophia shudders, but I can see her jaw clench with anger.

"And I'm sorry!" she snaps. "How many times do I have to say it? If I could take back the deal, I would!" she protests. I laugh angrily, leaning my head against the cold wall.

"But you can't," I point out. She shakes her head, looking down at the plate. She picks lightly at the stew but I can tell she doesn't want to eat.

"I might not be able to make up for what I've already done," she sighs. "I may never be able to redeem myself for that," she wipes her face wearily. "But I won't work for them anymore. I'll break the deal… refuse to cooperate. You've gotten what you wanted," she says weakly.

"They may not give you that choice," I whisper. "You're theirs now and they know it. Even if we're freed, the Loric will never take you after what you've done," Sophia draws in a sharp breath, burying her face in her knees.

I know I should feel happy about this, glad that she's torn up about what she's done. But as time goes on, I'm starting to feel more and more sorry for her and angry with myself. Why am I blaming her when this is what the mogs did? Sophia is as much a victim as my parents were; she had no control over her actions. My feelings are all over the place and I can't figure out what I should be feeling, thinking…It's so confusing.

"They're doing this on purpose," I sigh. "Making you kill them so I hate you. So the rebels hate you too and think you're one of the mogs," I shrug, appreciating the intelligence of the mogs. "It's not a bad move," Sophia laughs harshly, picking up the bowl of stew we have for dinner. There's a long silence as we both eat, broken by my next words.

"I wish I could hate you, you know," I tip my head back so I can stare up at the bare ceiling. "It would make things so much easier if I could just hate you," There's another long silence and then Sophia talks, staring at the ground.

"I'm sorry I killed them Stanley," she whispers. "I'm so sorry," she draws in a deep breath. "I know you may never forgive me and I never expect you too. Even if I couldn't help it, I still did it. That'll never change," I look at her for a long time and I shake my head, confused. I'm so, so confused.

"You're right," I agree. "I'll always know that you're the one who killed my parents. And part of me wishes that I could hate you," Sophia nods, and I think I can see tears on her cheeks. "But I've made mistakes too. I've had people killed for me, people die for me…I'm not guilt-free either," Sophia looks up, hope in her face.

"You mean…you mean you _do_ forgive me?" she asks. I shake my head, ignoring the flash of pain I feel when I see the disappointment on her face.

"No, I don't know if I can ever forgive you," I say truthfully. "They were my parents, and even though I hadn't seen them in so long, I still loved them," I blink back the bitter tears in my eyes. "But you're not the enemy here. The mogs are. They made you do this," I clench my hands into fists, the familiar anger and hatred resurfacing. I hope it stays as long as the war lasts so that I can make the mogs pay. I will carry this hatred until every mog is dead.

"Maybe later," I say slowly. "Maybe later, when things are different I might be able to forgive you…" I sigh. "But it's too soon, Sophia. It's far too soon to forgive and forget," I explain. It would be so good if she could just read my mind now, see how I feel. I've never been good at explaining myself.

"I'll do anything to make up for what I've done," Sophia vows, a fierce light in her eyes. "I promise," I smile softly, the first smile since my parents were killed. It feels weird.

"I know you will," I reply. Maybe when things have calmed down I can focus on how I feel, whether I can forgive her or not. I can focus on my grief instead of hiding in my anger, my hatred and my desire for revenge. But for now, I have bigger things to deal with. And all anger and hatred will be taken out on the mogs and not on her. The mogs will wish they were dead once I'm free. They'll pay for everything.

"Besides," I pull my tray towards me. "I didn't lie when I made the promise you know," Sophia looks at me, her eyebrows drawn.

"I could never hate you," I explain. "Not even after killing my parents, I still can't hate you,"

* * *

**So, hope you enjoyed! **

**Please review! :D**


	46. Chapter 45 - Never Giving Up

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I know everyone says it but reviews are really the best! I really appreciate the huge response at the moment so thank you so much to everyone! **

**Answers to reviews:**

\- **Guest – **I tried to make Cody more than a traitor because there's a lot more to him than that. There's going to be some changes around his character now as well as some (hopefully) really interesting developments. Even though I don't like him, his character is one of the most interesting I think!

\- Marina and Joseph will be reunited in the beginning of the next story but that's all I'm saying for now! I won't let you know how haha! And I'll make sure to make it epic!

\- I will try to make things light-hearted where it works, I promise :D

\- This is the start of john/Maren. A warning: it's not going to be the conventional relationship and it won't be overly romantic like Sarah/John but they will be a couple. I just can't see Maren as the kind of girl who would fall for a guy in days.

**Since this is the last update before Christmas, have a wonderful Christmas and see you all on Boxing Day!**

**So a huge thank you to everyone and please read and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 45 – Never Giving Up

**Marina **

"Get up!"

I curl up on the ground, as if it'll protect me from the boots and fists of the mog soldiers. I can feel blood everywhere and my body is in so much pain. I breathe heavily, pressing my hands to my face, wincing as they drag me upwards. I refuse to cry, even after everything they've done to me. I won't let them see me cry; I won't give them the satisfaction.

I feel a burning pain in my cheek as a mog soldier slaps me, sending me tumbling into the wall. My temple whacks the concrete and I see stars in front of my eyes for the moment, my vision blurry. I try to keep upright, but my body doesn't seem to obey me. I fall to my knees, breathing heavily as I wipe the blood from my nose. My head hurts so badly.

"Why are you doing this?" I pant. I'm not in my cell, but an interrogation room. I was brought here about an hour ago and ever since have been used as a punching bag for the mogs. I'm surprised I'm still awake.

"Because your friends thought they would release another video," One mog steps forwards, and I can tell he's in charge. He's tall, incredibly tall, and by his clothes and by the respect the mogs give him, I can tell he's got a high position. But he just looks the same to me as normal mogs: cruel and terrifying.

"That's got nothing to do with me!" I protest. A boot in the stomach sends me tumbling backwards, gasping for air as I lie on the ground, winded. My head throbs and the cold stone is so nice against my pounding temples. But then a mog grabs my arm, dragging me upright. My body is too weak, in too much pain to resist.

"It doesn't matter," one of the normal soldiers snarls. "They're _your_ friends," They shove me to the ground again and I sit there, trembling all over. It's so cold in here and the jeans and t-shirt I'm wearing do nothing against the chill. I can see bruises forming all over my arms and there's blood on my clothes from my probably broken nose.

"What was the video?" I ask, wanting to know more. I can't help but support my friends, even if this is the punishment I'll get for every video. I need them to fight because I can't. I _want_ them to fight to protect others from the same fate as mine.

"None of your concern," The mog in command kicks me over the head and the world goes black for a moment, before focusing again. The world is spinning around me and my vision is blurry, so blurry. I hunch in a ball, but a tiny part of me that can think clearly knows that the others must have made a great video for the mogs to be so angry. Whatever they did, it's clearly worked.

"Please," I beg. "I've done everything the mogs have asked me to do," my hands are shaking so badly and I feel tears in my eyes. I can't take much more, I really can't. The pain is too much, too strong and I want to just lie down and sleep. "I don't understand why-"

"Shut up!" The lead mog grabs me by the hair, dragging me up. I cry out in pain, the tears finally escaping my eyes. I can hear laughter, the mocking at my sign of weakness and I begin to sob. I want Joseph, I want him here to protect me, I want-

"What the hell is going on?" I hear Cody's voice but I can't see him. "Is this what you do for fun Deltoch because you can't rise in ranks? Hurt girls to make yourself feel better?" Cody's voice is fuming and filled with authority. The mog gripping me snarls slightly, whilst the other mogs look on, curious and excited. They want a fight.

"What are you doing here, boy?" Deltoch snarls. Cody laughs angrily, and then I can see him, sauntering forwards. He still wears the mog uniform but I can see outright dislike on his face as he stares at the mogs. He stands nearby, and I can see his tense position, as if he's getting ready for a fight. But he can't honestly be about to fight for me, can he?

"Let her go, Deltoch," he orders. "That's a command from your superior," The mog snarls again but there's a look of intense hatred in his eyes, which tells me that he's lost this fight. He lets me go and I crumple to the floor, wiping the blood from my nose, the tears from my cheeks.

"I'll see you around," the mog says to me and then shoves past Cody and out of the door. The others follow him, shooting both Cody and I vicious glares and I tremble from fear. I sniff, wiping more blood from my nose, and then Cody bends down, wrapping his jacket around my shoulders. His face has gone from cold to filled with concern. I don't understand what game he's playing but I don't even care.

"I'm sorry Marina, I came as quickly as I could," he whispers, so quietly that only I can hear. "I didn't realise they would do this to you, I really didn't," he swears and I believe him. I don't know why, but I do. Cody has a conscience it seems and more than a conscience, he has compassion. I have no idea what he's doing and whose side he's on, but he's helping me. And this isn't another mog trick; this is genuine. I feel more tears in my eyes but this time from relief. Someone is helping me at last.

He tries to get me to stand but it's like all strength has left me. I begin to sob more, wrapping the jacket tighter around my shoulders and he looks frantic. He strokes my hair back and it's so comforting after everything that's happened. I cold almost pretend it were Joseph if I wanted to because I'm so out of it that anything could be real.

"It hurts," I whisper. "It really hurts," Cody nods, his eyes filled with something like fear.

"It's ok, it's ok, we'll get a doctor," he heads to the door and snaps something to someone. The world spins around me and I wipe more blood from my face, staring at my hand…except there seem to be two, dancing in front of my eyes. I shut my eyes, wanting the throbbing pain to disappear, wanting this whole nightmare to end. I can feel someone gently touch my arm and then I'm being lifted up, the ground beneath my feet disappearing as I fall into darkness.

Xxx

There's a beeping noise nearby. I can smell medicines, the scent of antiseptic, and I can feel cool sheets against my skin. My body hurts all over and I know that whatever they pumped into me to dull some of the pain isn't strong enough. I can practically feel all the bruises throbbing with pain and I know I must be covered all over in them. My skin must be a complete shade of blue and black. I slowly open my eyes, glad that the light is low and that it's dark outside. I can see a shape by the side of my bed and then I recognise the face.

"Hector!" I begin to cry, so pleased and relieved to see him. I hadn't seen him since the day I had to make the deal with Setrakus and I had no idea how he was being treated. I can see some of his bruises have cleared up, whilst other are almost gone. The relief I feel is so strong it almost blocks out my pain.

"Shhh, it's ok," Hector gently strokes back my hair, some unreadable emotion on his face. "You need to rest," he soothes me. I nod, pain racing through my skull at the movement and a low moan escapes my lips. Hector gently strokes my face, concern written all over him.

"Cody brought me here," I murmur. "Cody saved me from the mogs," Hector nods, a confused look on his face.

"Yes…he fetched me afterwards so I would be here when you woke up," he says. "He said that it was the least he could do," I frown in confusion, trying to ignore the pain and focus on the conversation. But it's hard when I hurt so much.

"How did he know where you were?" I ask.

"He's been visiting me as well, to make sure I'm ok and not being mistreated," Hector whispers quietly, so that the cameras in here won't pick up what he's saying. "I don't understand Marina, he's one of them, isn't he?" he asks. I frown, confused, and the pain doesn't help. If only it could just disappear for a bit, clear my mind, and I could think.

"He's supposed to be," I whisper. "But I don't know anymore," I shrug, the movement hurting me. I need to remember to stop moving because the pain is just so bad. Part of me wonders just how badly I've been damaged. "I think he feels sorry for El and I," Hector nods, a worried look on his face.

"I do too," he says slightly louder. "You don't have to do this for me Marina, really. I don't want you to be hurt for me" he says firmly. I want to shake my head but it will hurt too much.

"No Hector, I want to do this," I say. "I can't lose you too," I insist. Hector looks down and I think I can see tears in his eyes. I reach for his hand, desperate for some comfort, and he links his hand with mine. I feel a little better, knowing that at least he's alive and well. At least the mogs are upholding their side of the bargain. But I never expected them to take it out on me.

"What video did they make?" I ask curiously. "Did you see it? It made the mogs so mad…they've never hurt me before," Hector looks down, his face angry.

"I wasn't allowed to watch but I heard enough," he replies. "They simply filmed your friends in training, filmed some happy moments, showed that even after the executions they were going to fight," he smiles softly. "I heard it was pretty motivating for the Loric," he says. I nod, wincing at the pain.

"That's why they were so mad," I realise. "Because no matter what the mogs make me do, or no matter what they put on TV, my friends are just doing it better," I smile, the cut in my lip starting to bleed from the movement. I taste my own blood in my mouth. "The mogs are angry because they're scared," Hector looks around, a little warily.

"I wouldn't say it out loud, but yes, I get that feeling," he nods, tenderly brushing my hair back from my face. "It doesn't mean they won't give up though," he warns me. I take a deep breath, waves of pain washing over me as the painkiller they gave me begins to wear off.

"Marina…" Hector looks down, his face miserable. "They want you to do another interview…to fight against the one the rebels made," he whispers. I begin to panic at once, alarmed at the thought of another interview. I don't want to be drugged again, don't want to say those awful, treacherous things. I don't want to have to do this even though it's the only thing keeping Hector alive.

"But then the Loric will retaliate and this will happen all over again!" my voice verges on hysteria and I can hear the beeping noise increase. Hector gently strokes my hair, worry in his eyes.

"Shh, shhh," he reassures me. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. I don't care what they do to me," he says bravely. I take deep breaths to calm down, trying to control my panic. I look at his dear face, knowing that he means it. That he would take whatever beating, whatever torture if it meant that the mogs didn't hurt me. Yet I can't let that happen. I can't let them hurt him because I'm weak.

"No, I'll do it," I take another deep breath. "I have to," Hector opens his mouth to protest but I shake my head, tears forming in my eyes from the movement. "Don't, not now. I don't want to fight, not now," I whisper. Hector nods, shutting his mouth. I can see his concern, his love for me in his eyes and it makes everything ok for the moment.

"Why don't they just rescue us?" I whisper, sounding so young. "Why won't Maren and John come to our rescue? Don't they like us?" Hector shakes his head, stroking my hair, my cheeks.

"Marina, the only reason they're not here right now breaking that door down is because they can't," he reassures me. "Either because it's physically impossible or there are complicated politics involved," he says. "But they will come. I know it. One day, they'll come and make the mogs pay for everything they've done to you and the others," he says softly. I relax, feeling a tiny bit better, but I'm still scared.

"And until then we just have to wait," I whisper. "And play along with the mogs," I look away from Hector's face and stare at the ceiling, a new determination rising in me. "I guess I have no choice then. I'll do the interview,"

Xxx

**John**

"You know, if you don't think you can handle this, then everyone will completely understand," I say to Maren as we head over to our rooms. She looks fine but I know her well enough to know that she has a brilliant poker face. That she's suffering inside as much as I suffer over Sarah's death.

"I'm fine, John," she insists, shooting me an exasperated look. "But if you keep asking me, then I'm going to lose it," she warns, a pointed look on her face. I grin sheepishly, shrugging, ignoring the dull ache in my shoulders.

It's been a long day of training and I'm exhausted. But things are getting better. It's helpful to have mentors who have all different skill sets and it's great to be working as a team, instead of training as enemies. Even Adam is improving his legacy and I can tell that it's a welcoming distraction for Maren and Joseph. We haven't got our special weapons yet as Sandor wanted to add a few more designs to them but we should be starting with them tomorrow. I can't wait.

"Hey guys, wait up!" I hear a voice, grinning when I see Joseph teleporting next to us. Maren jumps, shooting him a look, but he ignores her, a frown on his face. "Heard the news?" he asks. I shake my head, and Maren looks at him questioningly.

"We've got to go to Commandment," he explains. "It's a broadcast from the Capital tonight, probably another retaliation after our videos for the past few days," he says in a rush. I put my hands up, trying to understand his fast-talking.

"Wait, wait, slow down" I protest. "The Capital is retaliating _again?_" I ask.

This is turning into a war of videos. First they show an interview of Marina and then we shoot a video of Navaria to fight that one. Then they execute people and we show videos of us training and working together to fight _their_ video and now they're showing something else. Maren looks frozen next to me and I take her hand in mine, trying to reassure her.

"Yeah," Joseph sobers up when he sees her face. "I'm worried too, that it could be one of our friends," he admits. "But it's also good news," We start to head over to Commandment, despite the sinking feeling in my stomach.

"How is it possibly good news?" Maren snaps. "We're probably going to see one of our friends on screen saying more rebellious things! I _knew_ this would happen!" She shakes her head, looking distressed.

"No, it's good, trust me," Joseph stresses. "It shows that we're having an impact all over Lorien! The fact that they have to keep retaliating makes them look desperate!" he tries to explain. I frown, as we head down the corridor to Commandment.

"We keep posting videos in retaliation too," I point out. "It's just an endless circle. Soon they're going to show our friends tortured on screen!" I shake my head. "We have to try another tactic," Maren nods, looking slightly sick, and I know she's barely holding on. I squeeze her hand reassuringly and she smiles a little.

"Actually, the tactic we're using is brilliant," I turn to see Henri approaching, a smile on his face. He must have been called to Commandment too. "The mogs' videos are hardly scaring the Loric, they're just making them angrier," he grins. I frown, not sure if I completely believe him.

"We've had reports from all over Lorien," Henri says, swiping his key card against one of the many locks outside Commandment. "They know that Sophia was forced to kill and besides, it makes the mogs looking bad putting on public executions," he explains. "The Loric hate them more and more for doing that to innocent people,"

"Whilst we look like angels with our happy videos of us training and working together," I sigh, still not fully convinced. Maren purses her lips together.

"Surely we must be able to fight soon. That's far more effective!" she protests. "We need to go out to another city, help them fight against the mogs like we did in Navaria!" Henri nods, a calm smile on his face.

"Later, you'll be able to," he reassures us. "But this is just the first wave of attacks and it's a cyber one," he says, pushing open the door to Commandment. The room is emptier today: just the mentors and President Laws. Adam, Sam and Alicia aren't here and I remember Adam saying something about working on a special project with Sandor tonight.

"Good, you're here," Laws says as the door shuts behind us. "It's just about to start," I take my normal seat, noticing the excitement around the table. Something's going on and it's not just about the Capital's broadcast. They wouldn't be happy about that.

"What's gong on?" Maren asks, as perceptive as I am. Laws smiles tightly, folding her hands on the table.

"Adam and Sandor have been able to discover a method of hacking the Capital's communication system," she explains. I raise my eyebrows in shock, pleased by this new development.

"And?" Joseph asks, nervously watching the black screen. He must be scared about whatever the Capital is going to broadcast. I don't blame him. If Sarah was still alive and in the Capital, I wouldn't be able to function.

"Whilst the Capital's video is playing, we're going to try and hack the system and replace their video with more of ours," Laws explains. "We're going to use the same ones of you all training, but this time it will reach not only our usual audience, but a wider audience: the Capital," she smiles. I nod, getting it. It's a good plan and should be effective.

"And it'll spur the Loric on to see that we've been able to hack the mogs," I say. Laws nods, looking pleased. It's the first time I've seen her look happy and I bet things must be going well for her to look like that.

"Exactly," she nods. "The broadcast will begin soon," she checks her watch. There's a silence as we wait and I notice just how nervous I am. I'm scared of whatever the mogs will have done to our friends, and I can see I'm not the only one who's' worried. Joseph bites his fingernails, looking slightly sick, whilst Maren stares straight ahead, her hands clenched into fists.

There's a sudden static noise and then my heart jump-starts as the Capital symbol appears on screen. It's begun. The clip starts to focus and I notice that it's the same room that Marina was filmed in last time. There's Caesar sat in his chair and then there's Marina, sat opposite him in a strappy white dress. But when the camera zooms in on her, my stomach drops and I feel sick.

She's been beaten and badly. There are bruises on her face and her arms are practically blue and black. She's lost weight and I can see her collarbone more clearly, whilst her face is sharper. But it's the haunted, scared look in her eyes that makes me feel sick. Nearby, Joseph grips the table so hard that I'm scared he's going to break it and I'm surprised he doesn't try to teleport us to the Capital right now to rescue her.

"What have they done to her?" Joseph grips my arm, his eyes frantic. "John, what have they done?!" I shake my head, not knowing what to say, trying not to show how much his grip hurts me. If I saw Sarah on the screen like that, I don't know what I would do. I'm amazed that Joseph is keeping it together.

"Marina, thank you for talking with me," Caesar says kindly, as if Marina would have the choice. She nods, but I can see her wince, as if the movement hurt her. She's got a killer black eye and I'm surprised the mogs even would let her appear like this. Maybe they just don't care anymore. Joseph swallows, looking ill.

"I want to talk about your friends," Caesar says. "How they are rebelling against the mogs," he shakes his head and Marina clenches the handles of the chair, as if to control herself. "What would you say to them if they're listening?" he asks.

"John, Maren," Marina begins slowly, whilst igniting my suspicions further that she believes Joseph is dead. "You need to stop this war. People are being killed and cities are being destroyed," she sounds strained, as if she's in so much pain.

"We have to save her," Joseph speaks out. "Surely this counts as a life or death situation," he protests, looking sick. He's trembling all over. Laws shoots him a look and he falls silent, gnawing on his lip. But I can see some of the mentors nodding in agreement, their faces twisted up in concern.

"This war has to end," Marina continues on the screen. "So many people are dying, but for what?" She shakes her head, as if under control. "Being in power is not this important. We need to save the planet and the people…we can't kill one another like this," her words are all over the place and I bet her mind must be a mess.

"So you're saying that we need to end this war. That the rebels should surrender," Caesar offers. Marina nods, her eyes almost frantic.

"Yes! And they will be forgiven and-"

And the screen changes. It's one of our videos from a few days, of Maren playing with her chimaera before the video of her family was released. There's a rare, happy smile on Maren's face and she laughs as Lyn licks her cheek. I hear a few cheers in the room and the mentors have smiles on their faces, Henri leaning forwards in relief.

"They're in!" he exclaims. But then as soon as he says that, the screen changes again and Marina is back on again, as the Capital wrestles back the power.

"Maren?" Marina whispers. "Maren…is that you?" she looks startled, as if she's been woken up from a dream.

"The clips won't last for long, but she can see them," Laws says. "That's all that matters,"

"Show a clip of Joseph!" I command. Laws snaps something into her communicator as Caesar tries to get things back on track. Marina is blinking in confusion, as if she can't remember what's happening to her. As if she's lost control of everything. And Joseph…well he's staring at the screen as if nothing else matters in the whole world.

"As you were saying," Caesar is clearly shaken up but he continues. Marina nods, swallowing, and I can see her trying to grasp her train of thought.

"Um, yes," she nods again. "The Loric will all be forgiven if they surrender and realise the error of their ways," she breathes.

Then Adam and Sandor break through again, this time with a clip of Joseph. It was only filmed a few days ago, but it's him all the same and he's training with Reynolds. They're both laughing, until the Capital seizes control of the screen again, so quickly. Marina reappears, but she's different. She stares at the camera as if she's just seen a ghost. There are tears in her eyes and I can see the tiniest smile on her face. Joseph stares at her, as if he's willing her to believe the clips.

"That was Joseph in training for the Games before he was killed by the Resistance's efforts of fighting back," Caesar jumps in, probably knowing full well that Joseph isn't dead at all. I slam my fist on the table, and Joseph's hands clench in anger. The one chance we had of convincing Marina that Joseph was alive didn't work.

On the screen, Marina still stares at the camera, tears on her cheeks. She's breathing frantically and I can see her practically struggle to decide what's going on. There's a hazy look in her eyes and I can see that she's been drugged, but she's trying so hard to fight against it. Caesar asks her something else but she ignores him, her face concentrated.

"Come on Marina," Joseph breathes so softly that I can barely hear him. "You can do it, I know you can," he whispers. I know she's miles and miles away but it's like Marina _did_ hear him because she takes a breath and starts to talk.

"The Loric…if they surrender," she begins and I sag back in defeat, furious with the mogs for this. But Joseph keeps his eyes locked on the screen. "If they surrender there will be no mercy,"

"There will be no mercy. The mogs will destroy all of the Loric if they fight back," she announces, her face frantic. "The mogs will never forgive and they'll kill everyone who ever fought against them. They'll-"

Everything happens so fast. The camera falls to the side, as if someone knocked it over in haste. I can't see the room but I can see the carpet, and I can hear everything. I hear a shout and then a scream, a girl's scream of pain. I hear a snapping noise. I watch as blood splashes onto the carpet and then there's another scream.

Then the camera goes black.

Xxx

**Adam**

I sit on the bench along the wall, exhausted after the long morning of training. My body aches with pain and my head pounds with the effort it took to work my legacy. Mornings are dedicated to legacy training for the Elders and I, and it was clear I have a lot of work to do. The other three were good at their legacies; they'd clearly been trained before and have had years of practice to master their powers. But I had no practice with legacies and it was obvious. Fortunately, Joseph's mentor, Reynolds is an expert when it comes to legacies.

After last night's video, training has been more intense, to distract everyone. I know that the mentors are thinking of sending us to another city, to make another video like the one in Navaria. I have no idea if or when we're going so I know that every hour counts in training. But I know that'll we'll be off soon.

"Ready for weapons?" I turn to see John sit down nearby, a bottle of water in his hands. Afternoons are split between fighting and weapons. We start with weapons and I can see Crayton and Sandor making sure everything is set, and after that Henri, Adelina and Kat take over with fighting.

"Ready to see your _special_ weapons?" I reply. John's eyebrows shoot up and I can see the excitement in his face.

"Definitely," he grins, taking a drink from his bottle. "So they're finally ready?" he asks. I nod, a smile on the corner of my lips.

"Yep, we're done with them," John's eyes light up in excitement.

Maren and Joseph enter the room, looking tired after the long morning of training. But it's more than that. Last night's video was hard for them to see because they're so close to Marina, especially Joseph. After the camera cut off he went mad, screaming and tearing the room apart. He had to be drugged and sent off to the hospital for the night, but he seemed to have calmed down this morning. I wonder if he's still on something now.

"Right, line up," Sandor announces, a grin on his face. He has a huge crate next to him and I know the special weapons are in there. The Elders line up next to me in front of the crate, their faces shining with excitement. I'm equally as excited, wanting to see their reactions after all the effort put into these weapons.

"Ladies first," Joseph winks and Maren shoves him, but I can see the strain on both of them. Sandor grins, and leans down, lifting out a box with the number six on it. He passes it over to Maren who opens it, looking more animated than I've seen her for a while. I lean over in excitement along with John and Joseph whose faces are filled with curiosity.

Maren opens the box and her sword if revealed. But it's not a normal, heavy sword with a straight blade and thick hilt. It's an elegant, lightly curved sword made out of a silvery metal with a thin hilt and Loric symbols etched along the blade. The hilt is bound with leather with a tiny gem set into the metal and I know that the sword is as light as feather, but as strong as iron. Maren looks at it almost lovingly, her hands gently smoothing over the metal.

"It's beautiful," she breathes. Sandor nods, a pleased grin on his face.

"We wanted it to be easy to carry for long distances or battles," he explains. Maren nods, swinging it expertly and I can see just how deadly she will be.

"And it can detect enemies," I note. "The symbols start to shine blue when there are enemies nearby," Maren nods, a grin on her face. "So basically when there are mogs around,"

"But it's not shining now," she notes. "Guess that means I really can trust you," she says and I feel pleasantly surprised. This is probably the nicest she's ever been to me and I can see John smiling at Maren, as if proud of her.

"But this is the best part," Sandor takes the sword from her, and lightly twists the tiny Loralite gem in the hilt. The sword suddenly shrinks and instead of a sword, a small hairpin lies in his hand, a blue gem fixed on top. Maren takes it, a grin on her face and she twists the gem again. The hairpin grows until there's a sword back in her hand.

"So you can hide it on you in case you're captured," Sandor grins. Maren nods and then looks up at Sandor and I, a genuine smile on her face.

"Thank you both…so much," she says softly. "It's perfect," I blink and feel a blush on my cheeks at her gratitude. Sandor looks just as pleased but turns to Joseph, as if to hide his feelings.

"Right, Joseph," Sandor passes the box to Joseph, whilst Maren puts her sword away lovingly. I can tell she's going to take a lot of care of her weapon and I'm glad that she likes it so much.

Joseph opens his box, a curious look on his face. It's a small spear with blades on both ends but it's the length of a short sword and made out of the same silvery metal. He pulls it out, holding the hilt in the middle of the blade and he twirls it expertly, a delighted look on his face. Sandor grins, not having revealed the best part of the weapon.

"I know you shape shift a lot so we wanted to include a function so that your weapon is always on you," he explains. "So if you twist the hilt twice anti-clockwise…" Sandor demonstrates the grip to Joseph. "The weapon will mould itself around your arm and you can shape shift without it getting in the way. And you can simply fight in the knowledge that your weapon will never leave you,"

Joseph does as Sandor shows him and I watch as our idea comes to life. The weapon wraps itself around his hand and it's like the spear is an extension of his arm. Joseph swipes his arm around as if to fight something and then he begins to shape shift, to turn into a lion creature. The weapon seems to disappear and John whistles in appreciation, impressed. The weapon is nowhere to be seen. Joseph shape shifts back to normal and laughs when he sees the weapon on his arm. He twists his wrist twice anti-clockwise and the weapon is back in his hands, instead of moulded against his arm.

"Wow, that's amazing," he says enthusiastically. John nods, and I sag in relief, glad that they like their weapons. I had been worried they wouldn't like them, even though the changes are pretty cool.

"How did you do that?" John asks curiously. I shrug, a small blush on my cheeks.

"There are some pretty crazy Loric materials out there and when combined with Mogadorian technology, you get some cool designs," I explain. Maren grins, looking at the weapons with a new appreciation.

"And for you John," Sandor passes him his box, almost looking nervous. John opens his box and takes out his short sword. It's like Maren's, a little shorter, but just as elegant and with the same curving shape. But there are differences.

"When you light yourself up on fire with Lumen, the sword won't heat up like normal metal will," Sandor explains. "So the sword's shape be affected by extreme temperatures," John's face lights up. "It also has the same function as Maren's as being able to shape shift into a pen, since you couldn't get away with a hairpin," he adds. John grins, looking relieved.

"That's amazing, thanks," All three eye up their weapons, looking delighted and I feel a wave or relief. We've done well. John turns to me and there's a big smile on his face, looking pleased.

"Thank you so much," he turns to Sandor. "Both of you. These weapons are incredible and I think it's just what we needed," Joseph and Maren nod, and I can see a newfound determination in all of them. This was what they needed to make them want to fight again.

"You're welcome," Sandor has a soft smile on his face, almost sentimental. "You all deserve it and it was a pleasure to make," I nod along, a grin on my face. I feel like I finally belong and judging the grins the Elders give me, I think I'm not the only one who feels that way.

"You can see the other's weapons too if you like," I offer. "Marina and Stanley's. We're still working on Ella's at the moment," I tell them. Joseph nods and there's a funny light in his eyes, almost intense. As if seeing Marina's weapon will bring her here.

"Here," Sandor rifles in the crate and pulls out the box with Marina's weapons. He opens it up, showing off the beautiful silver bow, made out of the same metal that all the weapons are made out of. There are arrows lying in the box too, with different coloured fletchings: red, yellow and blue. Joseph smiles sadly when he sees it, stroking the metal carefully. I don't know what to say to him; I don't even know if the mogs will let her live after yesterday.

"She'll love it," he nods, swallowing hard. "I know she'll love it," I smile in relief, gesturing to the fletchings.

"The different colours show a different function," I explain. "Red means explosion, yellow means incendiary and blue is normal," I say. "So the red can take down a craft as easily as a bomb," John whistles, and Maren nods, looking impressed. Joseph smiles, and I can see a few tears in his eyes. I want to comfort him but I just don't know how.

"And Stanley's," Sandor wisely puts away the bow and arrows and pulls out the last box. In it, Stanley's staff lies nestled inside, looking like a small pipe. It's one of those pipe staffs that extends out with blades on each end, but unlike Joseph's smaller version, it grows as tall as Stanley.

"His staff has a function so that when he presses this button," Sandor gestures to a metal cuff in the box. "The staff is attracted to it and he can get his weapon back," John grins as Sandor puts the two boxes away for the Elders that aren't here. I can feel the mood drop slightly as the others look at the weapons belonging to the two Elders that aren't here.

"And now a present for you Adam," I turn to see Henri in the room, a grin on his face. I hadn't even heard him come in. The others look on eagerly and I get the feeling that they know what's going on.

"What do you mean?" I frown in confusion.

"Hannah was supposed to be Elder One," he explains. "But obviously she can't fulfil that role anymore, yet she gave you her legacies. We're not quite sure whether that makes you an Elder or not," he frowns. I shake my head, not agreeing with him. I'm a mog, not a Loric, and I shouldn't be an Elder. John smiles kindly at me, shaking his head softly.

"After everything you've done it wouldn't be that bad," John says softly. "You've done more than enough for our race. More than most of our people have done," Maren nods along and that means a lot to get her agreement. It means more than anything else. Henri walks over, something in his hand.

"But no matter what you're supposed to be, Loric, mog, Elder…" Henri begins. "You're one of us and you have Elder One's legacies,"

"We thought that if you had her legacies, you might as well have something else that belonged to her. Her chimaera," He holds his hand out and then I can see the tiny mouse in his palm.

Except it suddenly changes and there's a huge wolf in front of me, its eyes watching me closely. I take a few steps back, staring at the thing in shock, but it doesn't seem threatening. Its bared teeth almost resemble a smile, not a glare. In fact, I get the feeling that it's friendly and wants to be near me, wants to get to know me. I feel something touch my mind, like Hannah's used to, and I suddenly feel like I have a friend again. I don't feel lonely anymore.

_I'm Dust,_ the chimaera, _my_ chimaera says to me and I can feel its curiosity, its desire to get to know me. _I'm your chimaera now._ I feel like if this chimaera didn't want to be mine, then he wouldn't.

_Hi, I'm Adam,_ I stammer. I reach my hand out and the wolf licks my open palm, and I smile. I have tears in my eyes and I look at Henri, feeling overwhelmed. The others are grinning, whilst Dust watches me loyally. I have a feeling that if I were in danger, he wouldn't hesitate to save me.

"Thank you," I whisper. Henri shakes his head and there's a smile on his face.

"It's nothing," he replies. "It just means we're even stronger now,"

"Right," Crayton heads over, all business and it's a relief. I've had enough emotion to last me a lifetime. "We better get started on your training," he grins. "I just got word from Commandment. You're heading off in the next few days,"

I stare at the others in shock but I can see a fierce smile on their faces. This is what they want: to fight, instead of sitting around and filming videos. Dust growls, a fierce light in his eyes. I watch as Maren lifts her sword again, as if there's an enemy in front of her.

"Great," she grins. "Let's get started,"

* * *

**So, hope you enjoyed! **

**Merry Christmas and see you next Saturday!**

**Please review! :D**


	47. Chapter 46 - Fighting Back

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I really appreciate them and love reading them, and they really are the only reason I keep updating. So a huge thank you to everyone!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Adam doesn't have animal telepathy, but because Dust has 'chosen' him, it's a special bond that allows the two to communicate. It's how the other Elders without animal telepathy are able to talk to their chimaera too.**

\- **The sword was a Percy Jackson reference. I always thought the fact that the sword could be disguised was a good idea.**

\- **The glowing blue around enemies was also from Lord of the Rings. **

**So a huge thank you to all the lovely reviews and what you say in them! I really enjoy reading what you all think and it's so nice, so thank you!**

**Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 46 – Fighting Back

**Sophia**

I sit shivering in my cell, the thin blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I don't know whether it's actually cold in the prisoner's wing or if it's just me. I lean my head back against the stone wall, shutting my eyes and wishing that everything could just end. Hoping that my miserable life will soon be over and I don't have to fight anymore. I just don't want to live anymore.

Their faces haunt my sleep and my waking hours. Stanley's parents, Maren's sister and mother…I killed them in cold blood but I can't even remember doing it. I just remember waking up from the awful drug, with the dead bodies around my feet, the blood soaking into my shoes. Marina was crying in the corner whilst Cody watched on, looking sick. I remember coming back to my cell, Stanley calling me every name under the sun. I remember throwing up and refusing to eat, until they'd dragged me to the hospital.

Stanley is talking to me now and I'm surprised that he's even got the strength to do that. I don't deserve it, don't deserve to be talking to him. I killed his parents and he should hate me, want to kill me. I don't even understand why he's talking to me and I know I should be grateful for that small miracle. He's a better person than I'll ever be.

I wrap my arms tighter around myself, feeling sick from guilt and self-hatred. I should have been killed in their places, should have been the one to be executed in front of Lorien. I'm nothing, just a pathetic little traitor. But instead I'm here and festering in this awful prison, waiting for my next order. I never thought they would ever make me do something like that. And I will _never_ do something like that again.

"You know, it looks like we'll be trapped for a while," I turn to see Stanley watching me in the opposite cell, sweat drying on his skin. He's been doing press-ups and sit-ups all day and it's been exhausting watching him.

"And?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. Stanley grins, stretching his arms in front of him, wincing. I bet his muscles probably kill after a whole day of exercise.

"Tell me a secret," he says. I stare at him, confused by his mood swing. This morning he was shouting at me again about his parent's death but it seems that he's back to being my friend. He keeps changing between the two, as if he can't make up his mind.

"I can't keep up, Stanley," I sigh. "Do you like me or hate me?" I demand, preferring to be upfront with people. He sighs, his teasing smile disappearing and his face takes on an earnest look. I can see him thinking everything through because he doesn't want to lie to me and I don't want him to lie.

"I don't know," he sighs. "I can't hate you…after everything we've been through I could never hate you. And I know it wasn't your fault, and that in some twisted way you were doing it to keep me safe," he admits. "But…but you still killed them. It's going to take me a while to forget that," he says truthfully. I nod, blinking back the tears, and trying to hide my disappointment. He's being more than fair considering everything.

"Which is why I'm trying to be normal," he continues and I look back at him. "I'm trying to remember that you're my friend…that you didn't have a choice. I just want to try and remember that you and I are friends and allies. I want to get to know Sophia the Victor again, not Sophia the prisoner," he attempts a smile and I return it, grasping the lifeline he's offering me.

"I said I'll do whatever it would take to make up for everything and if that's what I have to do, I'll do it," I vow. Stanley smiles and he looks like a kid again, a hurting kid. It makes me want to protect him but I can't. I can only humour him.

"So, tell me a secret," he attempts a smile and I can see his bravado washing over his features.

"Well," I look away from him and down the empty corridor, glad that the mogs aren't here. I'm sure they're watching and listening right now, but it's nice to have the semblance of being alone. "When I was younger, I always used to play tricks on my brother," I admit. Stanley grins, glad that I'm playing along.

"What kind of tricks?" he asks interested. I smile, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders as I move closer to the bars.

"Erm, the normal kid pranks. Putting stuff in his bed at night. Putting stuff in his food. We always used to have this competition going, to see who could outdo one another," I smile fondly, thinking about those easy times. "One time, I even pretended to be drowning to trick him. I was grounded for a week after that," Stanley laughs, shaking his head.

"That's just mean," he grins. I roll my eyes at him, shooting him a playful glare and it strikes me just how easy we're slipping back into our old friendship. Or it's easy for me anyway.

"Oh please, I bet you would have done that too if you had an older sibling," I protest. Stanley winks, a cheeky look on his face.

"Me? Never. I'm all about keeping the peace," he chuckles.

"Well aren't you perfect?" I say sarcastically. "Do you want me to get you a medal? I'm not sure if it will fit over your big head though," I roll my eyes. He grins in return, a lighter look on his face.

"And there's the Sophia I've missed," he laughs. "I don't like your moping side. It's annoying. If we had your way, we'd be having a pity party for you every day," I sit up, crossing my arms in agitation.

"I do _not_ mope!" I protest.

"Don't like the truth, huh?" he sighs mock sadly.

"You're one of the worst sulkers I know!" I argue. "And I'll have you know that after Marcus' death I didn't mope once!" Stanley smiles but I can see a slightly darker look in his eyes, as if the conversation is bordering on painful tones.

"Because you wanted to be strong," he says softly. "But I know what you're like. His death hurts you every day. Just like you hate yourself for what you did the other day," his eyes bore into mine and I lower mine, tears filling them. He knows me too well and it scares me.

"I thought you wanted to have a normal conversation," I whisper. Stanley laughs softly, but it's a kind laugh. I don't deserve this, I really don't. I like it, I'm glad he's talking to me, but I don't deserve any of it.

"Well, I thought that-"

But I don't get to hear whatever Stanley has to say. I hear a clanging noise as the mogs open the doors to the row of prison cells. Stanley stands up, grabbing the bars and I can see his knuckles are white. His muscles strain as he tries to rip the bars out of the wall, but it's too strong for him and without his legacies he can't do anything. I back away from the bars, fear pounding through me. I know why they're coming. They want me to work for them.

The mogs march down the corridor and pause outside my door, unlocking the bars. I watch them, trying to strengthen my resolve. I have to refuse to work for them. I won't let them control me; I won't let them tell me what to do. I won't kill any more innocents just to keep both Stanley and I safe. I can't do that anymore. I take a deep breath, fixing a smirk on my face and ignoring Stanley shouting at the mogs.

"Come with us," the mog in charge grabs my arm, handcuffs in his hand. "We've got a job for you,"

"No," I pull away, moving away from them. "No, I'm not working for you anymore. The deal is off," My heart pounds but I feel strong too. This is the most in control I've been since I got here and I like it. I feel proud of myself for refusing to work with them. This is the first thing that I feel proud of doing something since helping the Resistance.

"You don't know who you're playing with," the mog threatens me. I can see Stanley grinning at me, a fiercely proud look on his face and my resolve grows even stronger. I know this is the right thing to do.

"I don't care," I hiss. "You tell your precious Beloved Leader that I won't work with him anymore. That he can do what he likes to me," Stanley grins at me and I just feel proud. Yet there's a sick feeling in my stomach that tells me I've just done something very dangerous.

"Hear that, dumbass!" Stanley yells, never seeming to understand when to shut up. "We're not going to play by your rules. And when we get the hell out of here, you're going to regret _everything,"_ I want to roll my eyes but I feel too wound-up, especially when I see the look in the mog's eyes.

"Fine," the mog snarls. He turns to go and I relax, feeling like I've just played a game and won. I shoot Stanley a tired grin when the mog turns to me.

"Oh and if you refuse to play with us, then I guess you'll have no use. We won't need a pretty face anymore," he grins.

I hear Stanley shout something and then I'm hit in the stomach. I go flying backwards and I fall to the ground, my head thwacking against the cold stone. I barely have time to stand when the soldiers start to hit me and I fall to my knees, trying to fend them off. And they hit me. And hit me.

In less than a minute, I'm in serious pain. Their metal-studded gloves open up cuts on my arms, cheeks and legs and blood runs down my arms, my legs. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to protect myself from the vicious hits. It hurts so much and I try to get away from them, to even fight back, but there are too many of them and I'm not strong enough. And after being thrown against the cold, stone walls for the tenth time, my head is spinning far too much for me to even think about standing.

Stanley goes kind of mad. He's tearing at the bears, yelling insults at the mogs, but they just don't pay attention to him. I've never seen him so rabid; his teeth are bared and I know that if he was let out now, there'd be no controlling him. And I wish they would let him out because I'm in so much pain.

When it's over, I think I could pass out from the pain. My head throbs with every heartbeat, and there is blood everywhere. I lie on the stone ground, wishing for an escape from this hell, but I know it won't happen. I wish the Resistance would save us but they don't seem to care about us. Tears burn behind my eyes as darkness seems to creep over my vision. I barely hear the mogs leave my cell, slamming the door behind them. I barely hear Stanley pleading with me, trying to get me to talk. The last thing I notice is his hands gripping the bar, the knuckles bloody and split.

Then I fall into darkness and the pain disappears.

Xxx

**Ella**

_Marina?_ I try to reach out for her. _Marina? Can you hear me?_

Nothing. She must be drugged again, the mogs stopping her from using her legacies. I've already tried with Stanley and Sophia but I couldn't get through to either of them. Either they're drugged or asleep, but I bet it's the former. But still, I wish that I could talk to them.

I push the loose trousers up my leg as I stare at the burn on my ankle, a symbol that I've never seen before. It disgusts me, and every time I touch the scarred skin I want to throw up. Another mutilation that Setrakus has given to me; another reminder of how much I am under his control. And the worst part is, I don't even know what this new charm does. Whether he can read my mind, whether we are always tied to one another…I have no idea what purpose this charm is for and that terrifies me. I suppose the only thing I can do is try to forget it and hope that it's nothing so bad. I guess its purpose will reveal itself in time.

The only good thing that has come of being stuck in this damn place are my legacies. Whether I'm glad of it or not, aging has made me more powerful. I may hate my grown-up appearance but I have all my legacies now and I can use them against the mogs. Only…first I have to learn how to use them.

Training is going painfully slow at the moment. I think part of it is because the legacies didn't appear naturally; maybe I'm not ready to have them, even if I am 17 now. Aeternus is as easy as breathing and it's second nature to change ages. I'm often in my thirteen year old form since I feel more comfortable and natural in it, but whenever Setrakus or his servants are around, I change back to 17. I don't want to be hurt again, even if I want to annoy the mogs.

My telekinesis is coming on in leaps and bounds, but that was always one of the easiest, and I've had it in so long. I was able to train that with Crayton before this whole mess started up, so it's not a problem for me. Likewise, telepathy is also going well. I developed that in the Games and now I can communicate with anyone I want, not just my closest friends. Not that I tend to use it that much. Only in training.

But Dreynen and force fields are so hard to control. Force fields just don't come naturally to me and I always tend to use telekinesis instead of my master legacy. The same with Dreynen. I just can't seem to charge things up with the legacy and I can never seem to access the same energy I did before. Maybe because I'm not under threat of being hurt like I was in that awful training session. Whatever the reason, it's not going well.

I hear the door unlocking and with a sigh, I start to change to my 17-year-old form, knowing that I'll be told off. It's so easy to change ages and in seconds I fit my training clothes, instead of them hanging loosely on me. I pull my long hair back into a ponytail just as the door opens and Cody walks in. He's staring at the floor, looking almost shy as he enters. I swing my legs over the side of the window seat, turning my back on the grey view of the Capital, and watch as Cody shuts the door behind him.

"How are you today?" Cody asks softly.

"I'm fine," I shrug, watching him suspiciously. I think Cody feels sorry for me, or maybe for himself, because he's been so nice to me. I have no idea what he's playing at, whose side he's on and I think he's unsure too. After killing both his mentors and now watching the mogs mistreat all of us, I think he's starting to turn against them.

"So, we worked on your telekinesis and telepathy yesterday," he says, looking down at the little black book he has with his notes in. As my official trainer, he has to keep notes on everything I've done and he's not been so bad. I still don't like him though, even if he has been quite decent.

"It's Dreynen today and maybe force field," I agree. He nods, putting down the book and watching me, almost nervously. Dread forms in my stomach; he's got something to tell me and it's not good news.

"Look, Ella," he sighs, running his hand through his cropped hair. "I need to tell you something but you have to pretend you heard it from someone else," he whispers, approaching me. "If they know it was from me, I'm in huge trouble and I won't be able to train you anymore," I watch him cautiously, not sure what he's playing at but then I nod. He's the only source I have for information and I want to keep it that way.

"Fine," I nod. "But what's happened now?" I ask. He inches closer, and sits down in front of me, holding out a ball of metal. I know that he wants me to pretend to practice so that to the people watching us it'll just look like a normal training session. I do as he wants and use my telekinesis to lightly lift the ball in the air.

"It's Marina," he whispers. I freeze, trying to act normal, but my heart beats frantically. The way he's sitting, the way he's looking…it can't be good news.

"Yes?" I breathe, my hands shaking in my lap. I try to keep calm but there's a scared look in Cody's eyes that's making me feel sick. He looks away, lifting up another ball so I can keep up the pretence. I lift the second one up and try to juggle them, but I feel too nervous.

"She was beaten up and then forced to do an interview," he whispers quickly. "She was shown a video of Joseph before he was killed…she freaked out and said something rebellious," he says. I nod calmly, but inside I feel frantic. They can't have hurt her…they can't have killed her. That would kill _me_.

"She's been locked up but they're going to punish her," Cody whispers. "I don't know how. I know they're not going to kill her, but I know they're going to do something," I sigh in relief, glad that she's not going to die, but they're going to do something to her. And I know it's going to be awful.

"I have to talk to Setrakus, to make him change his mind," I stand upright but Cody grabs my arm, shaking his head. I want to slap him, scream at him for everything that's happened to me and the others but then I see the look on his face. He wants to help me and Marina, I can tell, but he knows that fighting the mogs would be useless at the moment.

"Don't," he shakes his head. "You'll just make it worse for Marina," I have tears in my eyes and I want to disagree but I know he's right. For the moment, I'll have to sit here and practice my legacies, knowing that the monster is hurting my sister.

"But I want to help her," I whisper, looking at the still floating balls. My hands are shaking and I feel unstable, as if I'm about to break any second.

"Me too," he nods; his face conflicted. "But I don't know how," I eye him suspiciously, suddenly wondering if this is a trick. If he's going to use this against me and Marina, and make us suffer. After all, Marina took his eye out; he's going to want revenge. And he works for the mogs…why am I even thinking about trusting him? I feel furious with myself for even falling for this idiot's lies.

"You're using me," I accuse him, my voice a low hiss. "You're going to report this all back to the mogs and make Marina suffer more!" I snap. Cody winces, his face pale, but I carry on. "You said you were going to make Marina pay for taking your eye! And this is how you're going to do it!" I snarl. Cody shakes his head, plucking the two balls out of the air. He gently rolls them between his fingers, his face filled with conflict.

"I'm not going to turn you into the mogs," he says softly. "I don't know what I'm doing to be honest, but I know that I would never turn her in to _them,_" he laughs bitterly, staring down at the ground. His one eye is filled with tears and I suddenly think he looks vulnerable, unsure of what to do. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," he whispers.

"What wasn't?" I snap. He looks up at me, a sad smile tugging at his lips.

"They were supposed to respect me, look up to me," he whispers. "But they just hate me, more than they hate you all. To them, I'm weak, not strong," he shakes his head. "They lied to me,"

I narrow my eyes. "And I'm supposed to feel sorry for you?" I snap, although I do. He lost his two mentors. I haven't even lost Crayton but I miss him, even though he's far away in safety. How would I feel if he were dead? I'd probably go mad. Just knowing he's safe keeps me hanging on.

"No," Cody laughs softly. "Not at all. But…" he shakes his head. "But…I just. I don't know what to do Ella," he sighs. "Things didn't work out how I wanted them to," I watch him closely; wondering if he really does doubt the mogs or if this is just a show.

"I wanted Stanley to die," he admits. "That's the honest truth. You'll hate me for it, but it's what I wanted. But instead Joseph was killed. He shouldn't…he shouldn't have died," he says sadly.

"But because Stanley's alive, you're angry with the mogs? You're having a hissy fit," I say scornfully. Cody shakes his head, meeting my eyes. His face is vulnerable, scared and I suddenly can't help but feel sorry for him. He's just such a pathetic, pitiful boy.

"No. I'm angry with the mogs because of how they've treated you and Marina," he admits. "You've both been treated appallingly in different ways. And when Setrakus gave you that charm…" he shakes his head, his jaw squaring in anger. "It made me sick to see him do that to you," I square my jaw spitefully. If he felt that, how does he think I feel?

"So then, whose side are you on?" I demand, not wanting to be played by him. How can I trust him? Cody laughs, shaking his head.

"Side? I'm on nobodies side but my own," he shakes his head. "I'll do whatever it takes to survive," he says and I stare at him in disgust. He hates what the mogs are doing but won't do anything about it. He's a coward, as good as dead in my opinion. All pity I felt for him vanishes.

"Well then, we better get on with training," my voice is icy cold. "We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you, would we?" my voice drips with sarcasm and Cody watches me, his one eye looking at me wounded. I refuse to let that get to me and I snatch the balls from his hands, determined to train.

Because even if Cody refuses to join a side, I will: it's the Loric's side, and always will be. And I need to train to prepare for the fight of my life.

Xxx

**Maren**

"Tomorrow, you're off to Innail…and to war!"

Sandor's entrances are usually dramatic, but I think he's outdone himself today. I look up from stretching my cramped muscles, grimacing from the pain. Henri follows Sandor into the room, his face set in a frown, as Kat trails them both for our training.

"You know, once this war's over, I'd consider going into theatre if I were you," Joseph jokes. "You've got the flair for it," Sandor rolls his eyes but I can see the tug of a smile at his lips. I think we remind him of Stanley when we're being smartasses.

"Anyway," Henri interjects. "Tomorrow, you're all off to Innail for the next video, and this one has got to be big. Your last few videos have been effective but there's not been any real action. We think it's time to let you loose," I straighten up, stretching my sore arms in front of me. Finally, we can fight.

"And doing what?" I ask in curiosity. Nearby, John pushes himself up from the mat where he was doing push ups just a moment ago. Sandor heads over to his special 'lectern' in the corner, where he can control this training hall.

"Fighting," Kat grins. "You've all been given a clear bill of health from the medics and we want a hard-hitting video again. We don't want the Loric to get bored," I grin, excited at the thought of a proper fight.

At the moment, we're definitely winning this cyber war, especially when Marina clearly showed she was on our side the other day. But I know that soon the real war will begin and with this video, the transition is beginning. I can feel it. Our training has stepped up and I know that plans are being made for proper fights, not just for the camera but also for victory. This stupid cyber war will soon be over for me and the real thing will begin. Good, I can't wait. I want to fight. I want to kill every mog on this planet, even if it means it takes years.

"Are Adam, Sam and Alicia coming?" Joseph asks. We've gotten closer to the other three, but I don't know if I'd want them in combat. Alicia is tough, just like Hannah, but Sam was never the strongest and Adam would be in danger just because he's a mog. The rebels would probably just kill him and he's valuable to us.

"Sam is coming, but the other two aren't," Henri shakes his head. "They're going to make another video, as a distraction for the mogs whilst you go in and fight," I nod, it's not a bad plan.

"What's their video about?" I ask.

"Introducing Adam as an ally," Kat replies. "Show the Loric that he's our ally. Announce that the Elders in the Capital are being forced to act against their will. The Loric have a right to know this," she shrugs.

"Sounds like a plan," John nods. "Are our chimaera allowed to come?" he asks. Sandor nods and I sigh in relief, glad that Lyn can come along. She's as keyed up for a fight as I am and I know she'll be deadly. Also, it's nice to have the company, especially after everything that's been happening.

I still can't get over my mother and sister's deaths. Can't get the thought of their executions out of my mind, their suffering and their pain. I still feel crippling grief every moment of the day and it takes all my energy not to break down. Getting up in the morning is hell and it's hard to smile, to act happy. The only thing that keeps me going is my desire to fight, to make the mogs pay. But I can focus my grief into anger and hatred and for the moment, it's working. All that matters no is revenge.

"So we thought we'd be working on team work and hand-to-hand today," Kat summarises, taking control of the training as usual. Sandor is waiting by his lectern, his fingers running over his beloved controls. I can only imagine what he's going to throw at us. He rigged up this training hall when he got here, so that it's like the one Stanley trained in for the Games.

"Take your weapons," Henri gestures to our special weapons, and we all grab ours. I still marvel at how beautifully deadly my sword is and I can tell the others are just as impressed.

"Right, so John is a healer," Kat begins, as Henri takes a seat nearby to watch. "Let's pretend that one of your friends is injured," she grabs a dummy from the wall and dumps it on the ground.

"Probably ought to be Maren that's injured," Joseph teases me. "You're always getting hurt," I shoot him a mocking glare, cracking my knuckles.

"You wanna go hand-to-hand and find our who's more injured afterwards?" I threaten him. John laughs, shaking his head at Joseph.

"I wouldn't," he grins. "She'll crush you in seconds," I look on hopefully but Joseph backs away with his hands up in the air, apparently following John's advice. Shame. It would have been a good fight.

"Right," Kat rolls her eyes, grabbing our attention again. "Maren, you're going to be solo because you're the best," she says bluntly. The other two don't disagree though and I feel a flash of pride that I'm still seen as the best, even after everything.

"Ok, so John, you need to heal the dummy. Joseph, you're going to protect the dummy from the aggressive mog in your way," Kat says, winking at me. She knows I've got this. These guys are good but they're not like Stanley or I.

"Right, begin," Kat smiles, taking a few steps back. I grip my sword, watching the other two.

Joseph teleports to get the dummy at once but I ignore him, heading straight for John. What's the point in having a healer if they're going to die? John grabs his sword, preparing for a fight, and then I reach him. I bring my sword up for a blow and John blocks it, but I think he's shocked by my strength. I twist my weapon around to disarm him and it works surprisingly. His sword goes clattering to the ground and I rest the blade against his neck before he can defend himself.

"Dead!" I announce. Joseph groans nearby, the dummy lying by his feet. I think he was about to come and help 'kill' me but John 'died' first.

"Great, so now you've got a dead healer and an injured friend," Kat laughs. "Not what we want," she points out. John sighs, looking down at his sword.

"She took me by surprise," he complains. I smirk at him, removing my blade from his neck.

"Not a good enough excuse," I laugh. Henri looks on, considering.

"Try it again," he says. John and Joseph nod and we all get into position. Adrenalin races through my veins and I can feel my competitive spirit taking over. I want to win again, to prove that even though I'm grieving, I can still fight and better than ever before.

Joseph teleports again and I run for John again, but he's prepared this time. Our blades meet and then it's me who's backpedalling from his strength. Maybe he was intimidated first time, or maybe he just wasn't prepared. Whatever the case, he is this time. He lunges out for me with his sword and this time it's me blocking the blow. I see Joseph appear with the dummy in the corner of my eye and I know he's about to join the fight.

Lashing out with my leg, I kick John's knee and he stumbles away from me. I kick the weapon out of his hand, just as Joseph teleports over. I turn invisible, catching a breather, whilst the two boys stand, looking around. I circle around and then lunge for Joseph, needing to take him out first.

We tumble to the ground and I turn visible, not able to see him when we're both invisible. Nearby John races over but I toss him away with telekinesis, watching as he hits a wall. He's not unconscious but clearly dazed, whilst Joseph tries to shake me off. He suddenly starts to transform, and I stagger back as his crazy lion form appears in front of me, the claws slashing the thin air. I swallow my nerves, trying not to appear nervous, but it's hard when I take in the razor-sharp talons.

"Wow, I think this could be an improvement over your normal face," I smirk, not feeling as confident as I sound. Joseph grins but it looks like a snarl and then he lunges for me. I'm able to escape his swiping claws but it's not easy and I have to concentrate a lot. I spin and duck and weave and miss every claw by barely a millimetre. I use my sword to keep him back but it doesn't last long and I don't want to have to cut Joseph too badly. I'm not sure who's going to win this fight but I can see John standing up nearby and I know I have to do something.

Something hits the back of my head and I'm sent straight into the next swiping claws. I yell in pain as Joseph slashes my stomach, the talons ripping through my top and probably giving me some serious cuts. Joseph staggers back, looking shocked even in his lion form. Nearby, I see John looking guiltily at his hands; he must have used telekinesis or something.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get you so bad," Joseph says, the sympathy muffled in his lion's raw. I grin, shaking the pain off, using telekinesis to throw John into another wall. He tries to fight my legacy but he's not strong enough and he crumples at the base of the wall again. I think he swears at me but oh well. Already I can feel myself starting to heal and I wonder if I have accelerated healing.

"That the best you can do?" I taunt them both. Joseph lunges forwards again and then I jump out of the reach, leaping onto one of his arms. I daintily run up his huge arms, until I'm on his back where I wrap an arm around his neck. I begin to batter his head and ears, grimacing when I hear him raw with pain. I continue to punch, aiming for the sensitive parts of his head. My stomach still hurts but the wound has definitely improved even if just a little bit.

John picks himself up just as Joseph crumples into a heap, turning into his human self. I jump off his battered form noticing that he's barely conscious. John races over and I brace myself, as the first fireball is thrown. I duck out of the way, eerily reminded of the fireballs in Round 1 that I had to face just over a year ago. John lobs another one at me and I duck again, barrelling into him. We fall to the ground, and I know that I can defeat him in hand to hand. I'm good at that.

The fight is good, really good. John manages to kick me of and then we're on our feet, fighting one another. All friendship is forgotten in this fight and our faces are twisted up in concentration, waiting for the other to mess up. John's punches never land on me and I never manage to throw him off guard, no matter how many complicated throws I aim at him. I'm starting to think this fight will never end when John stumbles from a blow I managed to land on him. I knock him to his knees when I hear a yell and I turn to see Joseph aim a punch at thin air. I barely have time to wonder what he's doing when he's in front of me and then his fist smacks me.

It's like being by a train. I'm flipped up in the air and then land painfully on my back, my head thudding with pain. Joseph grabs his weapon, his movements shaky, and the blade is pressed against my neck. John races over to the dummy, slapping his hands against the chest.

"Healed!" he announces.

The mentors start to chat and clap but I lay on the ground, groaning. It was a pretty awesome fight, even though I'm feeling pretty battered right now. My stomach might not be as bad as it was earlier but it still hurts. My head pounds with pain, and I'm pretty sure that I feel blood in my hair. Joseph removes his blade at once, kneeling by me to make sure I'm ok. His face is bruised and battered, probably from my hits and I can see John is unsteady as he heads over to heal us.

John kneels down, gently healing my stomach and head, apparently deeming me the most injured. He looks at me in concern and as our eyes meet, I suddenly feel a flutter in my chest. I'm both excited and nervous but I don't know why. It unsettles me and I want to think of something different.

"Man, I had no way to avoid that last teleport punch," I groan, rubbing my face. "That was pretty epic," Joseph grins in guilt, breathing heavily.

"I had no choice, you were really pushing me. I had to do something or you would have won," Joseph admits as my injuries heal up. It's so wonderful to be relieved of pain and I grin at John, not harbouring any anger about being beaten by these boys.

John nods. "Yeah, you weren't going down without a fight," He moves onto Joseph and I sit up, glad to be free of pain. I watch as Joseph's face returns to its handsome, not-bruised state.

"Neither were you two," I shrug. Joseph is healed and then it's finally John's turn. He doesn't even seem to be tired by his legacy use and I wonder how strong we must be to be so unaffected. I watch Kat come over and she's grinning, looking triumphant.

"Well, you've certainly proved to us that you can fight," she grins. Joseph snorts, shrugging out of his jacket to give it to me, since he ripped my t-shirt to shreds. I gratefully pull it over my ripped t-shirt.

"Yeah, but look at the state we're in," he protests.

"I am," she replies. "And that's the exact state the mogs will be in once you're done. So we've decided there won't be any more delays," I look up, filled with excitement. "From now on, you're going to be in the real war,"

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed!**

**Please review! **


	48. Chapter 47 - Losing Control

**Hi guys!**

**So a huge thank you to all the lovely reviews! Over 400! Woo! So a huge thank you to everyone who reviews and I really do appreciate all the support! Thank you!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Someone will eventually get Ximic yes, but I won't say for now who it is.**

\- **I'm not planning on anyone being able to raise the dead. In this story, if someone has died, they unfortunately, stay dead.**

\- **Maren does have accelerated healing.**

\- **I can't say whether Nine/Ella will ever be together – too many spoilers haha!**

**So once again a huge thank you to everyone who reviews! I love everything that you say and even if I don't respond directly to reviews, I really do appreciate them all so much. Thank you!**

**Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 47 – Losing Control

**Marina**

_"__If you could go to one place on Lorien, where would it be?" _

_I turn to Joseph, smiling at the mischievous look in his eyes. His bright green eyes are brought out even more by the thick dark green sweater he's wearing, and he looks gorgeous. Part of me just wants him to wrap me up in his arms and help me forget the world. _

_"__Why, are you going to teleport us out of here?" I laugh, brushing my hair away from my eyes. Joseph shrugs, looking out over Lorien through the windows. The planet spreads out in front of us, just begging to be visited. _

_"__Don't tell me you couldn't do with a breather," he chuckles, his eyes shining. I smile in return and I feel so warm, so happy, and I could stay here forever. "So, where you would go?"_

I wake up.

The tears have frozen on my cheeks as I stare up at the stone ceiling, the memory of Joseph's warm face still very much in my mind. I feel cold and alone, and wish that his arms were here now to wrap me up and comfort me. I had forgotten that memory of the two of us back in the Victory Tour, laughing about where we would visit if we could. The worst thing is I can't even remember where Joseph said he wanted to go. I wish I could remember.

I sit up on the mattress, pulling the thin blanket around my shoulders. I'm in my new cell, which is even worse than the last one. There's only a thin mattress, a bucket of water and a drain, and it's so cold. I'm dressed in jeans and a jumper but it's not enough. Especially when they're still soaked in blood from my second beating the other day after my interview.

It had hurt so much to my already-bruised body but it had been worth it. Despite everything. Seeing Joseph had reminded me that the mogs had killed him and I had been so ashamed, so disgusted that I would even say what the mogs want me to after everything they had done to him. Telling the truth, even if it had resulted in another torturous beating, was worth it. I would do it all over again. Even if they do something dreadful to me or Hector, I would do it all over again, just for Joseph.

"Good sleep?" I turn to see Stanley awake, and finishing off his press-ups. He's in the cell opposite mine and it's been so good to see him again, even if he's in the same situation as me. Apparently this is Sophia's cell but was beaten so badly yesterday that she was taken to the hospital. I was put in her cell until they get me a new one.

"No," I whisper. 'Not good at all," Stanley's face falls and I know he'll be thinking of Joseph too. He hadn't even realised that our friend had been killed until I'd told him. When he had found out, I thought he was going to kill himself with rage. He had torn his cell apart, tearing at the bars, at the walls. It had taken six mogs to control him and even then he was fuming. I hadn't even realised how close Stanley and Joseph were, but they clearly got on more than I thought.

"Dream of Joseph?" he asks me. I sigh sadly, resting my pounding head against the cold bars. The blanket is wrapped around my shoulders but it's still not enough.

"They always are," I sigh. "Good dreams, bad dreams…it's always about him," I whisper, blinking back the tears in my eyes. The grief is just getting harder and harder to deal with and I'm not sure how much longer I can last. If I could fight or do _something_ then I could cope, at least forget the pain. But I have nothing to do but sit here all day and _remember._

"I get dreams of my parents too," Stanley admits. "And Maddy. About their deaths most of all, but other memories too," I stare at him in shock, not sure what to say. Stanley has never seemed too bothered by everything that's happened; he's either consumed by desperation to kill mogs or he's teasing the others. He grins at my look but it's not a friendly smile. It's more of a grimace, an insane smile of someone who is desperate to kill.

"I hide my emotions well," he says before I can ask him. "Sometimes too well. I think I even manage to convince myself that they're not there," he chuckles bitterly, staring down at his ruined hands. "But it is. The guilt…the grief…it's never going anywhere," He shakes his head.

"It's funny," I trace the concrete floor. "I always thought people got over deaths after an amount of time. But they don't. They just learn to deal with the pain. But you never seemed so hurt, so guilty," I admit. Stanley grins, an almost rabid look on his face.

"Yeah, well I'm good at fooling people," he retorts. "It's all about pretending that you don't care,"

"Well you convinced me in the arena," I say softly. "I'm sorry for your pain, for your loss. And you shouldn't feel guilty, Stanley. None of this is your fault," he looks up, oddly vulnerable but then that fierce, cocky expression crosses over his face and he smirks.

"Oh I know, sweetheart," he chuckles. "I know _exactly_ whose fault this is. And I'm going to make him pay," he vows. I look around nervously, expecting the mogs to appear and beat him for that comment but there's no movement. Stanley's grin broadens and then he pops his legs out, starting his push-ups again.

"You know, Sophia's not to blame either," I add. Stanley's back stiffens and he falters on a push-up, before continuing with one arm, showing off his perfect physique.

"Not this again," he warns me. "She killed my family!" He snarls and I can see his barely-there control starting to snap.

"Yes, but I know what those drugs are like, you don't," I reply firmly. "You can't think, you can't do anything of your own will. Sometimes you can't even remember what you've done! And she was doing it for you. To stop you suffering the same fate that Hector has," My voice breaks as I think of my dear stylist, who could be tortured at this very moment because of my actions. Stanley continues to do push-ups.

"She had no control over herself," I continue. "Stanley, if you think you feel guilty, how do you think she feels?" I plead. He doesn't answer and continues to do push-ups. But I can tell he's listening.

"I don't know how long we're going to be alive," I say softly. "Maybe days, maybe weeks. But it's likely that we're going to die at some point. Don't waste your last days hating her. I know more than anyone what it's like to lose someone you love. I don't want you to feel the same way,"

Stanley finally stops. "I don't love her," he says roughly. "Not like you love Joseph," But there's a small blush on his cheeks. I think of the easy way the two of them would talk in the arena, their natural friendship. He might not love her but there's something there. If this world was different perhaps they would have had something.

"Love doesn't have to be romantic, it can be between friends as well," I shrug. "I'm just saying, we don't have the luxury of holding grudges in here," I lean against the bars, shutting my eyes. "We don't have the time to wait when any day could be our last,"

Xxx

I shiver as the mogs lead me down the cold corridor, the metal floors echoing eerily. I've never been here before and it's so cold, so clinical. I feel scared and nervous and there's a sick feeling in my stomach that just won't go away. My body aches with every step, as the injuries from the beating come back to haunt me.

I knew the minute the mogs grabbed me from my cell that this is the second part of my punishment for my actions in the interview. Apparently the beating they gave me immediately after the interview wasn't enough and I have to suffer more. But judging by the malicious looks on the mogs faces, I think that I would rather take a beating every day for the punishment that I'm about to endure. My knees shake from nerves and I take a few deep breaths to try and control my fear.

We stop at the end of the corridor, the words on the door unknown to me. It must be Mogadorian or something. One of the guards swipes a key card and I'm pushed into the room, looking around me. It's completely empty, with just a window with a blind on one wall. Cody and Setrakus Ra stand in the room, the latter looking smug. Cody just looks sick and the look in his eyes is enough to make me cold with fear.

"What's going on?" I demand, trying to appear strong. The door slams shut behind me and I try not to wince. Cody lowers his eyes and I don't know what to think of him. He saved me the other day but here he is with Setrakus, acting like his little assistant. Whose side is he on? I wince when a mog grabs me and drags me over to stand in front of Setrakus and by the window.

"You directly disobeyed our orders in your interview," Setrakus says, his eyes angry and cold.

"You killed Joseph," I hiss. "What do you expect?" I try to be strong but it's so hard when I'm so nervous of what they're going to do. Setrakus acts as though he never heard me, but Cody's eye flickers up, guilt reflected there.

"As a result of your disobedience, which had devastating consequences, you had to be punished, in more ways than one," Setrakus says, a smug smile on his face. He makes me feel sick but terrified at the same time. He reaches out and presses a button by the window, and the blind slowly moves up.

I move to the window, my hands shaking as the room beyond the window is revealed. I feel shaky and sick and every part of me is telling me not to look. But I have no choice and I'm forced to look. It's some kind of medical room; with metal stretchers and tables covered in instruments. There's a table in the middle of the room, a lump under a white sheet, and a mog waiting patiently next to it. I feel sick, bile rising in my throat.

"No, I don't want to see," I whisper, trying to back away. But something holds me in place, no matter how hard I struggle. I feel tears in my eyes, a sinking feeling in my stomach. My hands won't stop shaking. I hear someone say something into a small communicator but it feels like it comes from a distance. The mog in the room nods and then pulls the sheet away from the top half of the body.

I think I scream when I see Hector. It's clear that he's dead; there's a pallor to his skin that doesn't belong to living, breathing people. The only functional part of my brain takes in his scars, his thinness, his broken frame. But the rest of me is frozen, staring at the body in horror. I did this. I got him killed because I wouldn't keep my mouth shut. Anger and hatred and grief so intense rise in me until I feel like I'm choking. Anger clouds my thoughts and I know that if I had my legacy now I would kill every mog in this room. But even if I don't have my legacy, I have my fists.

"You bastard!" I turn and throw myself at Setrakus, my earlier fear vanishing under grief. I could _kill_ him for this. I _will_ kill him for this! His men jump forwards at once, dragging me away but I struggle and scream. I'm like a wild animal, my grief tearing me apart. I hear a screaming noise and I think it's me. I scratch and bite and hit, desperate to hide from the pain.

Then there's a stabbing pain in my arm and everything goes black.

Xxx

**Adam**

Alicia's room is spotless. She and Hannah don't have that in common and it's quite nice to see that the two sisters have differences. Whilst Hannah would have clothes thrown everywhere, drawers open and spilling out, bed sheets crumpled and in a heap and everything possible on the floor, Alicia's room is the opposite. Everything has its place and it's perfect. I feel nervous as I sit down on Maren's bed, Dust curling up comfortably on her pillow.

"Maren would kill you if she could see this," Alicia grins, entering from the bathroom. "A mog and his pet on her bed wouldn't go down well with her. And she might be mourning but she still packs a hell of a right hook,"

"Good thing she's not here then," I retort. Alicia rolls her eyes, as she brushes her wet hair into a ponytail. Her hair is practically black when it's wet.

Maren, John, Joseph, their chimaera and Sam are all in Innail at the moment, fighting the mogs. Innail is divided between the two races and the others have gone there to push the momentum towards the Loric. Without resources, Innail has been struggling to win, but with the new supplies sent in by the Resistance and of course with the boost of moral by seeing their leaders, I'm sure Innail will win this fight.

"So, what's happening in the rest of Lorien?" I ask Alicia. Seeing as I've been spending a lot of my days training, both my body and legacy, I haven't had much time to spend with Alicia. I know she's been in Commandment a lot, working on strategies. Apparently she's a bit of an ace at that.

"Navaria has all but won and the mogs have given up on that city," Alicia ticks off the cities on her fingers. "Innail, Moridas, Baladh, Thorold, Kappita and Ostia are all in differing states of fighting, but most are divided," she frowns, concentrating. "The rest of the Southern cities are reluctant but we're hoping that if Baladh is badly damaged then they're going to join in,"

I nod. "Whilst the Capital remains war-free," I remark. She grins, her teeth glinting menacingly in the light. Her face is sharper than Hannah's; sneakier looking but I trust her all the same. It's weird.

"Not for long," she says. "Once the cities are freed, then the Resistance plans on turning their attention to the Capital," she grins. I'm not as convinced as she is. Maybe because I've seen what the mogs are like, what the mogs can do to those who are against them.

"But can the cities win the fight?" I chew on my lip. "Can they fight the mogs and win?" Dust whines and comes over, gently nudging my hand to reassure me.

"Navaria did and they didn't have help from the Resistance," Alicia says fiercely. "I _know_ the others can too. We'll lose thousands of Loric, the cities will be all but destroyed and people we love _will_ die…but we'll win. We _have_ to,"

She's right of course. We _have_ to win or the consequences aren't worth thinking about. I shudder just thinking about what the mogs would do to eliminate the Loric and I turn back to Alicia, knowing that the future is unsure. We still have a chance to win. We're winning the cyber war after all. The mogs' videos are only making the Loric angrier, instead of scared. They know the Elders are being forced, and they know that the mogs can only kill because they're losing control. And with every mog video causing anger and our videos boosting moral, we're easily winning. If we can win this cyber war, we can win the real, physical war too.

I rub my face, thinking back on our video that we made today. I had come out as a mog traitor and a Loric defender, but the reaction from the public is still unclear. I just hope that the Loric won't want me dead. I know the mogs will.

"Well," I change the subject. "At the very least, our video will make things better until the others' is ready. A mog traitor will make the mogs look even more stupid," I grin.

"Yeah, and it'll give the Loric hope that more mogs can change," she grins.

"And we were able to show just how much Hannah did for the Loric," I say wistfully. "Now everyone knows just how special she was," I sigh. Alicia's face drops slightly, grief and pain mingling on her face.

"She _was_ special, wasn't she?" she agrees. "When we worked in the factory together, she would always do my hardest jobs so I wouldn't suffer like she did…she was the best sister," she shakes her head sadly and I can see the tears in her eyes. Dust flies over to her as a bird before changing into a puppy, snuggling into her lap. Alicia looks down, kind of startled but then a small smile appears on her face. She gently strokes him and he seems to almost purr.

"I miss her every day," I admit. "Having her sarcastic comments in my head…I wish they were back," I grin. "She was always so smart and sarcastic. Yet that made her _Hannah," _I rub my face, trying to blink back my own tears. Even after two weeks, the pain is still the same, if not worse. I don't think it's ever going to go.

"It still hurts for you, doesn't it?" Alicia sighs. "Now that she's really gone, you're finding it hard?"

"Every day it's hard to get up without her," I admit. "I miss her presence…and the grief…it doesn't go away," I straighten up. "But it's not so bad when there's something to do. Train a legacy, train for fighting. And now that I have Dust, my mind isn't so empty," I smile softly. Alicia nods, stroking Dust, who's sitting by her side. Her face is emotionless.

"Yeah, I noticed that after she first died," she sighs. "Working in the factory made it better, not worse," She shakes her head, and I can see her trying to be strong, to hide away from me, but I don't want that. I know Hannah wouldn't want that either.

"You know, you can talk to me about anything," I say softly. "I'm lonely too," her eyes snap up to meet mine and disbelief colours her face.

"You? No way! You've got Dust and the Elders! You've got a legacy. Soon you'll _be_ an Elder, I bet!" she shakes her head. "You're one of them now," I stand and then cross over to the other bed, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. She smells different from Hannah, but it's nice.

"I'll still always be your friend," I say reassuringly. "You saved my life and I saved yours before I even knew the Elders. Besides, _you're_ one of us too," I promise her. "They respect you, like you," She looks up at me-, insecurity in her eyes. She's so different from Hannah in that respect; I'd never seen Hannah insecure. She was always so confident, so sure of herself.

"Really?" she whispers. I smile and nod, gently squeezing her shoulder.

"Really," I promise and I mean it. Dust licks her hand gently and she giggles, the first time she's acted like a young girl. It's kind of nice to be honest.

"You know, you can talk to me about anything too," she says gently. "If you want to talk about Ivan…I'd understand. He _was_ your brother,"

And there's another difference between the two sisters. Hannah never completely understood how hard I found it to see Ivan as an enemy, even after everything he did. Maybe because as an older sister she was so protective of Alicia or maybe because Ivan killed her. Or both. But Alicia understands and it's nice to know that she doesn't judge me.

"Yeah, well, he killed Hannah and he was going to kill you," I shake my head. "Is it bad that I've barely thought about his death? That I've thought more about Hannah's death and this war, than Ivan's death?" I ask her, feeling guilty. Alicia shakes her head and she takes my hand, a soft smile on her face.

"Never," she says. "Hannah was…well you loved her. Ivan killed her and was going to kill both of us. That changed everything," she says softly. "But I wouldn't blame you for feeling bad about it. It shows that you're human," I blink back tears, moved by her words. Dust gently snuggles between the both of us, and I bet if a dog could purr, he would.

"Thanks Alicia," I say, my arm still around her. "I think if Hannah were here…I _know_ if Hannah were her she'd be delighted that we're talking without hating one another," I smile and Alicia laughs, moving away from me to sit opposite me, the sentimental moment over.

"Oh, she'd probably be jealous," she teases. "Would want to be the centre of attention," she says, fondly remembering her sister. I roll my eyes, knowing that she's right.

"But I _am_ glad that we're friends, Adam," she turns more serious and I know that this is hard for her. It's hard to open up after Hannah's death, especially to me, a mog. But the fact that she's doing it makes me feel so touched.

"Me too," I admit and I can see how far we've come. From hating me, blaming me for Hannah's death, Alicia is now saying how glad she is that we're friends. And that means everything to me. Maybe more than my father's approval, or my mother's love. It means the world.

Xxx

**John**

"Duck!"

I throw myself behind a pile of rocks that was part of the mayor's building, wincing as I hear the bullets hit the rocks where I was just a moment ago. Nearby, Maren and Joseph cower like me, their hands pressed over their ears to protect against the deafening gunfire. I wait for the gunfire to end, my heart pounding and my palms sweaty as they clutch my sword.

Innail is a mess. Not as bad as Navaria, but it will be soon. We're in the centre of the city, where the fighting is the most intense. We had dropped supplies off at the hospital and local shelters with the mentors when the mogs had attacked, and well, it hadn't taken much persuasion to join in the fight. But right now we've been separated from the mentors and Sam, and our chimaera are ahead, too busy tearing into mogs to find the way back. I don't care. I want to fight.

It's moments like this that I really miss Sarah. I mean, I miss her every day and the pain never goes but it's moments like this that makes her loss really visible. I wish she were here to take me away, to protect me, and we could spend the afternoon in each other's arms. But those days are long gone and I'm alone.

"John, get your ass over here! NOW!"

Well, not completely alone. I grin when I hear Maren and then doing as she tells me, I try to crawl over to them. Joseph watches me struggle, teleports over and grabs me, before teleporting us back to Maren. She glares when she sees me but I can see through the dust and grime on her face that she's relieved that I'm ok.

"Stop trying to play a hero and concentrate!" she snaps. "These mogs are onto us now!"

I grin cheekily. "You said you wanted your revenge. Here it is," Her glare intensifies, as more bullets slam into the rocks protecting us but there's an excited glint in her eyes. Joseph looks out eagerly, gripping his spear in anticipation.

"Guys, there aren't many! Maybe 30 or so. We can _so_ take them!" he exclaims. Maren's responsible side disappears at once, not that it lasted for long anyway, and she peeks out, counting how many mogs there are. I know we can handle this. With our weapons and special uniforms I know we can do this.

"Fine, we'll take these ones out," she agrees. "Then we should go back and find the others. We're strong enough for this but they might not be," I nod, taking a deep breath. Next to me, Joseph rubs his hands together, his weapon already moulded to his hand. Maren counts down to zero and then we jump out at the same time, charging for the mogs in the square.

Buzzing with an energy so intense that I think I could explode, I set myself on fire, my uniform lit up in seconds. But unlike normal material, it doesn't burn to ash, it just keeps the flames going for as long as I want it to. I charge towards the mogs, holding my arms out, as the fire grows thicker and stronger, my energy translating into flames. I reach the mogs and before they can run, I attack. Mogs dissolve into ash the moment I charge at them, the bullets they shoot at me melting in the heat. Using my new sword, I stab and slice and kill, my teeth gritted in a fierce smile. This feels great. Revenge has never felt so good and I feel so alive, so intense that it's a wonder I don't explode.

Nearby Maren is slicing through the mogs with a determination that is formidable. She's clearly feeling the same way as me and it's showing. She's the best and the way she fights, it's clear to see. Mogs dissolve in seconds as she spins through them and her beauty whilst fighting takes my breath away. I stare at her in awe as she easily ducks and rolls, the movements elegant and effortless. She's not even using any legacies; she doesn't have to. She's just that good.

Joseph is just as good but not as elegant. He teleports behind the mogs and stabs them, using his new weapon. He then shape shifts into the lion creature he loves so much and I grin as he takes out five mogs in one swipe. The remaining mogs turn and run, seeing how deadly we are but they don't get far. Teleporting back to normal, Joseph grabs Maren, and the two finish off the remaining mogs.

Within minutes of charging, the mogs are dead. I let my fire die down, still buzzing with energy. I'm out of breath but ready for a fight. Never have I felt so confident, so ready to fight and defeat the mogs. I know that in this moment if Setrakus Ra were in front of us three, he would be dead. We would make him pay for everything he's done.

I hear a yapping noise and I turn to see BK running over in wolf form, grinning in wild excitement. He's covered in blood but not his own. Lyn and Rey follow him in the same form, both filled with the same energy. Guessing by the ash all over their coats, they were just as deadly as us.

_The mogs are retreating but they're heading to where the others are, _BK tells me and I can tell Joseph and Maren are being told the same things. We turn and head for the same direction without even discussing it. We don't need persuading to kill mogs.

I've been so psyched for this fight from the moment we set off and I know it's the same for the others. What better way to get over grief and pain than fighting? Every mog we kill makes me feel more and more alive, like my grief is disappearing. Every kill makes me feel lighter, and more energetic. I know that right now nothing could stop us and I know it's the same for the other two. We race down the destroyed streets, picking off the mogs without breaking a sweat. Joseph tosses some into a building with telekinesis, I lob fireballs at them and Maren races up ahead, dropping behind them and stabbing them. Part of me could just watch her fight forever.

_This way,_ BK tells me and we turn a sharp corner into a large square. I can see mogs on one side of the square, hiding from the bullets, whilst on the other side Henri, Sandor and Katarina are shooting tirelessly at the mogs from behind their shelter of rocks. Sam grins when he sees us and says something to the mentors. We race over, ducking behind the rocks and catching our breaths. I feel tired, yet at the same time alive and ready to fight.

"You ok?" I demand Sam, needing to know he's ok. He nods in agreement, his exhaustion obvious behind the ash smeared on his face. He hasn't been in combat since the first Games just over a year ago.

"This is their last defence!" Henri yells. I can see other Loric fighters in the buildings, and I can hear gunshots from nearby as they try to shoot at the mogs. "These Scouts were sent in last night as a last resort!" he adds, the ash on his face not hiding his delight. _This_ is real victory, not the stupid videos.

"What are we waiting for then?" Maren grins, rubbing her hands. Joseph is already eyeing up the square, as if determining who he's going to kill next.

"Are the cameras filming?" I ask, knowing that Henri will want the mog's defeat to be broadcast across Lorien. I can see the building opposite us, knowing it will be crawling with Scouts. There must be about a 100 or so, both inside and outside. Nearby BK growls, his form shuddering as he prepares to change and fight.

"Yep," Henri shoots me a tired grin. "Good luck! And don't die!"

Then he lets us loose. Joseph, Maren and I bound over the rock, our chimaera taking to the air. I'm barely aware of Sam and the mentors ducking away, to get to safety as we finish off the last of the mogs in Innail. Good. I want Sam and the others to be safe as we're going to win this city back to Loric control.

I'm not aware of the fight that much, of how many I kill. All I know is that I lob fireball after fireball at the mogs, turning myself into a human torch. Every mog that touches me dies, either by fire or by my sword. It's like our earlier fight except there are far more mogs. But they just can't compete. If Maren doesn't stab them, or I don't burn them or Joseph doesn't get them with his claws, then the chimaera are on them in seconds. Ripping into them or dropping them from the sky. None of these mogs are leaving the square.

It doesn't take long, despite their determination. The mogs may be losing but they will fight to the death. That's the only thing that I admire about them; they're as determined as we are. The mogs pour out of the building, knowing they can't win, but refusing to give up. Instead, they die. BK turns into a huge hawk, dive bombing the mogs and sending them scattering. Maren turns invisible, picking the mogs off one by one. I torch the mogs, feeling so alive and powerful. I've never felt so strong before in my life.

It's over as quickly as it started. It's like everything suddenly goes silent because the square is empty of mogs and it's just us. I extinguish my fire, breathing heavily, and I notice Maren clutching an apparent stitch in her side. Joseph transforms back to normal, a few cuts and bruises on his skin, but he's grinning. Nothing like killing a few mogs to make you feel better.

"It's over," I turn to see Henri and the others walking through the square, a triumphant look on his face. "Innail is the Loric's,"

I grin in triumph, feeling so relieved. We've won. We've got another city on our side. Only now are my aching muscles becoming evident, my pounding head. I feel exhausted from the legacies and the fighting but I feel good too. We won another city: first Navaria and now Innail. We're starting to win. I can see Joseph hugging Reynolds in delight and Kat comes over to congratulate Maren when it happens.

It's so quick. A stray mog that was hiding from behind a rock pile jumps up, a gun in hand. He aims it for Maren, who's back is turned. I watch as his finger pulls the trigger.

"Maren!" someone yells but I know it will be too late.

I've never moved so fast in my life. I hear the gunshot just as I shove Maren down to the ground and then the bullet hits me. Pain explodes in my chest and I stagger back, shocked and stunned. Maren stares up at me from the ground, confused, and then my legs give way. I watch as the mog turns to ash, Joseph's furious face appearing from behind.

I crumple to the ground, my chest burning with pain, but Maren catches me, gently lying me down. I can hear screaming and yelling, as BK nuzzles my hand. It hurts so much, so much… Maren stares down at me, saying something but I don't understand. She looks so beautiful, so alive as the world starts to fade around me. She's shaking her head and I want her to know just how important she is.

Then the pain takes over and the world goes black.

Xxx

I wake up to a rocking sensation. I'm on a cold ground, and I can hear talking nearby. I pick out words like 'victory', 'surrender' and 'retaliation' and I know that someone is talking about Innail. From what I can make out, the mogs have officially surrendered the city and deemed it a lost cause. But that also means that the mogs will retaliate in some way or another.

My chest doesn't hurt and I open my eyes to see I'm on the ship, heading back to the headquarters. Sam sits nearby, rubbing his weary face, whilst Joseph lies on a row of chairs with his chimaera curled up protectively by him, both asleep. I sit upright, feeling my chest but there's no bullet wound, just a hole in my uniform. I hear someone say my name and then Maren kneels by me, her face lined with worry. I remember thinking how beautiful she looked when I thought I was dying and I blush a little, even though she doesn't know.

"Take it easy," she says gently. "You lost a lot of blood," She helps me lean against some seats, as BK comes over, licking my hand. He seems happy that I'm ok and I gently stroke his ears.

"Who healed me? Did someone get a new legacy?" I ask hopefully. Maren shakes her head, pulling out a black rock from her pocket.

"Healing stone. Innail is stocked with them," she explains. I nod, relieved that the pain is gone. I do feel a little lightheaded but overall, I'm fine.

"You really had to jump in front of a bullet?" Sam teases me, grinning when he sees that I'm awake. "Couldn't use telekinesis or anything?" I roll my eyes, shoving him lightly.

"Hey, I panicked. Couldn't let our own personal army die, could I?" I wink at Maren. She smiles softly, but there's a weird shine to her eyes, as if she's about to cry. Her hair is messed up and her clothes are torn, but she really does look beautiful. I don't know how she manages to do it.

"Don't do it again, John," she warns me. "I'm not having anyone else die, especially not for me," she vows. I turn serious, reaching out and taking her hand. She looks at me, almost startled and there are definitely tears there.

"That's why I did it," I reply. "I couldn't lose you,"

She blinks, as if to control herself, and then leans forwards, wrapping her arms around me. I shut my eyes, hugging her back and it feels great. Almost as great as it did when I held Sarah. Maren's arms are so strong and warm around me and I know that I'm not going to let the same thing happen to her. Even if I have to take a bullet again, I'm not letting her die.

I think that would kill me.

* * *

**Hope you enjoy! Quite depressing for Marina but things will pick up soon, I promise!  
**

**Please review!**


	49. Chapter 48 - A Storm is Coming

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I really appreciate it all so a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed! It really means everything so thank you!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Stanley does know that Sophia wasn't in control when she killed his parents but he's still bitter about it all. **

\- **So there will be an escape/ rescue coming up soon, but that's all I'm saying. It won't be in this story but the beginning of the next one. Hopefully it's going to be good!**

\- **Marina and Joseph won't be reunited for a bit but I think it's necessary in a way to make Marina stronger. She's definitely going to be a force to reckoned with, I promise.**

\- **I'm glad you all enjoyed the Jix moment! I'm going to put some more in now!**

\- **I have thought about being a writer, but I enjoy it more as hobby than anything else. But thank you!**

**Just a reminder, I'll soon be publishing the new story and it will be called 'The Uprising'. It'll be a direct continuation of this; it's just easier to separate the stories before it gets too long.**

**So thank you and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 48 – A Storm is Coming

**Maren**

I'm in the forest again. After two years of being hunted, held captive, separated from my family and my forest, I'm back. It feels so good, so wonderful to be back amongst the trees, even if they're slightly different from the ones I'm used to. These trees are taller, thicker and the leaves are darker. The animals are slightly different from the ones I remember and the whole forest itself is wilder, but it's still a forest nonetheless.

The Resistance granted me permission to hunt after our huge victory in Innail. Winning a city back from the mogs is such a success that they thought I could have one day off. And since the forest is so close to the base and there's no way the mogs can hide out in here, then they knew it was perfectly safe. Besides, I'm a good hunter; there's no way I'd be killed even if there _were _mogs around.

I drift through the trees, the fresh wind running through my hair. I hear the bubbling sound of a stream nearby and I smile, naturally heading for water. I follow the stream, carefully, balancing on the wet rocks as I follow the current. The water starts to pick up speed, and then I break through the edge of the forest and out onto the cliff. I catch my breath when I see the view. I never realised that I was close to the edge of the forest or that I was so close to the sea; the trees were too dense for me to see anything but the sky. The stream flows through the trees, and over the cliff, where it drops down to the sea far below. I peer down, moving back slightly when I see the long fall to the sea. And the sea…it's stormy today and the waves are choppy but it's still beautiful. I can see the nearby coves, all hidden beneath the towering cliffs that protect the coastline.

I settle down by the stream, gathering some branches and moss to light for a fire. I caught a squirrel earlier for my lunch. I set it over the fire, it doesn't take long to cook, and I admire the view, smiling in contentment. How long have I wished to be here, doing exactly this? It feels even better than I imagined. Even better than my dreams. I watch as the squirrel cooks, feeling peaceful for the first time in a long while.

Having won Innail, I feel so much stronger. Being in battle had been so good, and taking revenge on those who had done so much wrong had felt even better than I thought it would. By channelling my grief and anger into killing, I had been unstoppable. I can't wait to kill more mogs and to start winning this war for good. And I really do think we could win this.

"Thought I'd find you here,"

I jump up when I hear the voice, preparing for a fight. But when I see John standing there, a grin on his face, I relax at once. BK in his normal beagle form sits by John's feet, his tongue hanging out in a friendly grin. He must have tracked my scent. I breathe a sigh of relief that it's not an enemy, settling down by the stream again.

"Haven't you learnt by now not to scare me when I'm armed?" I snap, gesturing to my bow and arrow. John shrugs cheekily, settling down on a nearby rock. He takes in the view, his grin slacking and an awed look on his face.

"Nice view," he whistles. "How did you find this place? Did Lyn find it for you?" he asks, looking around for my chimaera. I shake my head, turning the squirrel over on the fire.

"No, she's back at the base, resting. She's tired after the battle yesterday," I explain. "I just came across this place by luck," He nods, looking down and I study him in the low light.

He's changed a lot since the boy I first met. He's grown taller, and his face has lost that boyish look and is more rugged, handsome. He's gained muscle, his body stronger and wirier than it used to be. His face looks haggard, side effects from grief and hatred, but when he looks up and his eyes meet mine, they're the same blue that they've always been. They're still as kind as ever. I blush and look away, embarrassed that he caught me looking.

"Weren't you supposed to be with Sam all day? I thought you wanted to spend more time with him," I say, changing the subject. He shrugs, as BK flops down by our feet.

"We spent the morning together," he agrees. "But then Adam needed him in the armory to help with this new invention for training. Sam wanted to go," he shrugs. "He wants to be helpful,"

"He _is_ helpful," I chew on my lip. "Just because he's not an Elder and isn't there for all the big battles doesn't mean that he's not," John nods, flicking his blonde hair out of his eyes.

"And I tried to tell him that," he sighs. "But you know what he's like. He thinks I'm just trying to be nice," I turn the squirrel over again, noticing that it's almost cooked.

"Maybe I should talk to Sam then," I smile. "I never say anything out of kindness," I expect John to agree but he shakes his head, a soft smile on his face.

"You have a terrible view of yourself," he chuckles. "You're actually pretty nice," I look up at him, raising an eyebrow skeptically. He laughs at the look, as if amused or something.

"You've been so nice to Joseph about Marina. You've been kinder than usual to Adam," he looks down, his face drawn. "You've been there for me…after everything with Sarah," I look away, and then notice the squirrel is done. I pull it off the stick and pass him some, not sure what to say.

"How _are_ you holding up?" I finally ask. "I know it must have been hard…" I trail off at the look on his face. If he feels the same way as I do, then the pain won't have vanished. It's always there.

"Don't," he shakes his head. "Let's have one conversation without talking about the war, our grief…those who have died," he says almost bitterly. "I've had enough of those kind of conversations,"

I know what he means. I've had enough of them too. People asking if I'm all right when I'm not but I'm hiding my pain. People assuming I'm better because I'm not crying and breaking down all the time. John must feel like that too. Is he better? No, not by a long shot, and neither am I. But talking about it all the time makes him feel even worse.

"Ok, let's have a normal conversation," I decide, waiting for the meat to cool. "What were your first impressions of everyone when we all first met two years ago?" I ask curiously. John smiles easily, looking out to the sea, considering. We've never really talked about first impressions.

"Stanley scared me," he admits. "Still does," I laugh, and he grins, his blue eyes shining. "Joseph was pretty cool, quite funny and had great legacies," I nod along, agreeing with him.

"Marina was so sweet, and so was Ella," I remember. "But they weren't very strong…I guess that's changed now. They're both stronger than me…to still be alive in that place," I steer clear of Sarah, knowing that's a touchy subject. "You were talkative,"

"Talkative?" John raises his eyebrows, pretending to be offended. "I was just trying to make conversation! Not my fault you thought someone saying hello is talkative!" I roll my eyes but he's right.

"Fine, ok, so I was a loner and you were being nice," I give in. "What about me? What did you think of me?" I'm almost nervous as I wait for his response because it matters to me. I want him to like me a lot and that surprises me. Since when has John's opinion mattered so much to me?

"I thought you were badass and beautiful and strong. I thought you were special," he admits. "That hasn't changed," He looks down at his meat, a blush on his cheeks and we both fall silent, eating the food.

I feel almost nervous and excited and confused. It's such a weird feeling and I've never felt it before. I have a sinking feeling in my stomach about these stupid feelings but I don't want to focus on it. My emotions don't matter. I have a war to win and John and the others will help. Whatever I feel or think about John shouldn't matter. Taking my revenge will. Just because I have this stupid weird feeling whenever I'm around John, doesn't mean that I can't win this war. It doesn't make a damn difference.

I hear a rumble of thunder and I look up to see the storm clouds brewing. They look almost purple and I can almost imagine the storm that's going to come. The wind has picked up and I shiver in my jacket, noticing the waves crashing against the cliffs. I stand upright, finishing off my food. I hold my hand out to John and he takes it, as I pull him to my feet. He doesn't let go of my hand and it's nice, comforting.

"Come on, we better get back," I say, eyeing up the clouds. "There's going to be a storm later. We better be ready for when it hits,"

Xxx

**Stanley**

Seeing Sophia's bruised face makes me feel sick. Seeing what the mogs did to her makes me want to go on a rampage, tear the mogs into pieces. If I thought that I hated Setrakus before, it's nothing compared to how I feel now. I could almost explode with the intensity of my feelings. And seeing her battered body reminds me of other things the mogs have done. Maddy's death, my parent's murder, the destruction of Navaria…so many things. My mind shuts off in rage, the only emotion that can fight the grief. When I finally come to, the paint on the wall is chipped and my hands are bloodied and bruised.

Sophia moans in her sleep and I turn to see her roll over, her face twisted up in pain. She's in my cell for now; apparently the mogs have a shortage down here. Or maybe they want me to see what happens when you don't play by mog rules. Whatever it is, seeing the bruises on her arms makes me want to lash out. But instead I walk over to her, draping the blanket over her so she'll be warmer.

Despite everything, I feel protective over her. She looks so small, so weak in her sleep, and especially after what they did to her the other day. And then after speaking to Marina, I realise what an idiot I've been. Sophia had no control and would never have killed my parents if she were in control of her mind; she would have fought to save them. And even though it's sick, she was doing it for me. She was doing it to keep me safe.

Besides I don't have the time to decide whether or not to forgive Sophia; we could have days, hours left for all I know. I need to appreciate the last chance with her if I can. And now that I've made the decision to forgive her, it's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Maybe I always wanted to forgive her, to be her friend.

"Have you been hitting walls again?" I turn to see Sophia sit up, rubbing her face with a wince. I grin sheepishly, looking down at my bleeding knuckles.

"I was angry," I shrug. She rolls her eyes, standing upright. I notice her wincing; trying to hide the pain from me but it's obvious. Even after a couple of days in the hospital she's still suffering badly from the beating and the rage rises in me again, ready to take over. I have to fight to control it.

"Well if you keep doing that we might actually get out of this hellhole," she grins. I chuckle, watching as she heads over to her food tray in the corner. I hadn't wanted to wake her up and just decided to keep it for her. She sits down, cross-legged and picks at the food.

"Has Marina said anything?" she asks, looking across the corridor towards the other cell where Marina is. I shake my head, concern filling me. Marina had been dragged back yesterday, unconscious. But when she woke up this morning she just sat there, crying and rocking back and forth. I think she might have finally lost it.

"She's asleep now which is probably best. I wish I could get her out of here. I wish I could get us all out of here," I bite my lip. "But I can't," I growl in anger, about to turn and punch the wall again, but Sophia shoots me a look. I sigh, trying to get free of my anger but it's so hard.

"Hey, we'll survive this. If we got out of the arena, then we'll get out of here," she says softly. "We're allies, remember?" I smile sadly, sitting down next to her. I'm still worked up and she tentatively links her hand with mine and it feels amazing. I never realised until now how much I wanted her friendship, her comfort.

"More than allies," I reply without thinking. "We're friends," She blinks a little in shock and then a sweet smile appears on her face. She looks beautiful when she smiles like that and I blush a little, surprised by my nerves. I've been through hell and yet it's the smile of a pretty girl that shakes me? Sandor would be so disappointed.

"Really?" she looks down at our hands. "I mean…I killed your parents. I wouldn't blame you if-" I interrupt her by shaking my head and she shuts up, looking confused.

"It wasn't your fault," I reassure her. "The mogs controlled you. I always knew that it wasn't your fault… And, who knows how long we've got left alive? I don't want to spend the last days wasting my energy on being angry with you, especially when there's no point," I say. "I'd rather get back to how we used to be," She smiles and then leans forwards, her arms around me. It feels great as I hug her back, finding comfort in her embrace. I almost feel at peace.

Almost.

"Thank you Stanley," she whispers, still incredibly close to me. "That means the world," I shrug, pulling away. I feel nervous and excited and it's a weird feeling. I've been so consumed by anger and hatred and grief that I've barely noticed just how much I like Sophia. Just how important she is to me.

"Tell me a secret," I smile, repeating the line from the last time we talked. She laughs and looks down, her face furrowed in concentration. I feel so shy sitting so close to her but it's nice as well. It's comforting.

"I used to love dancing," she admits. "I wanted to be a dancer when I was older," she smiles. I laugh, imaging her in a pink tutu with ribbons in her hair. The image doesn't fit with the badass, sarcastic girl sitting in front of me.

"Really?" I raise my eyebrows. She grins, shoving my arm lightly.

"Really!" she rolls her eyes. "I was a young kid once, you know!" she laughs. "I had lessons and everything," she adds. Remembering Marina's advice to seize the day and all that crap, I stand upright, holding my hand out. I plaster a smirk on my face, hiding how nervous I actually am.

"Wanna dance?" I ask. She laughs but then stands, putting her hand in mine. I stare at her confused, because I have no idea what to do next. Sure, I've danced with Ella but that's different. I just spun her around to make her laugh. But with Sophia? I have _no_ idea what to do.

"So, what do we actually do, because I can't dance for shit," I confess. She laughs again and begins to explain how to do a simple dance, but I'm not really paying attention to what she's saying, not when she's so close to me. I have to place my hands on her hip and I admit, I enjoy it more than I should. I think I can hear her heart beating with nerves…or is that mine?

Our dance is clumsy and messy and I'm sure the mogs are laughing at us. But Sophia's amusement makes it all better. I spin her around, and despite her wincing from the pain I know she's enjoying it. And I am too. It's great to forget everything and just dance. We go from traditional ballroom style, to me spinning her around till she gets dizzy and then she shows me some of her ballet moves. I don't even try those, but I admire her grace that I never realised she had. It's clear that she loves dancing but it's also obvious that I can't do it for shit. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much but when we finally collapse onto the mattress, both of us exhausted, my cheeks hurt from smiling.

"Wow, you really _can't_ dance," Sophia laughs, rolling onto her stomach to face me. "I mean, I actually think the mogs could do a better job," I grin, going to shove her lightly, but she moves out of the way.

"Hey, be nice," I pout. "I'm a fighter, not a dancer," she watches me, her eyes amused.

"To be honest, I'm surprised that you haven't made some innuendo about it being your first time and I need to be gentle," she quips. I smirk, trying to play along, but my cheeks heat up at once.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," I grin. "But hey, if you're up for it, then I'm not going to say no," I blag, trying to appear confident.

"For someone who acts like such a perv, you have no experience with girls to back it up," Sophia retorts but her cheeks are red too. She keeps avoiding my eyes but it's cute.

"I could say the same for you. Bet you don't have experience with guys either," I say but I'm curious. I've never really talked about dating or guys with Sophia and I feel weird about it.

"Maybe I don't," she shrugs defiantly. "But I was 14 when I was chosen and after that I had bigger things to worry about," she retorts, her defiant look increasing. I smile, reaching out and taking her hand.

"Hey, it's no biggie. I wasn't kissed for the first time until the arena," I admit, feeling a pang of sadness when I think about Maddy. But it's small, and there's far less pain than before.

"Well, the way things are going, I don't think it's ever going to happen," she admits, her blush increasing. "I mean, I don't want to sound depressing, but I don't know how we're ever going to get out of here," she sighs, looking down at her hands. I reach out, tilting her chin up. I feel nervous and yet at the same time, filled with a weird energy I can't explain. It's like I'm filled with adrenalin or something.

"Hey, there's a guy in front of you," I blush too, feeling nervous but excited. "Like I said, I'm up for it," I have no idea where that came from to be honest but I don't want to take it back.

Sophia stares at me, her eyes wide at this change of direction. I admit, I'm not sure how we got to this point but I don't regret it. Do I like her? As a friend, absolutely, but more than that too. But maybe because I was so scared of being hurt by Maddy's death, I refused to acknowledge it. I didn't want to go through the pain again. So I buried all thoughts of liking her under my grief, pain and anger and it worked, especially after my parent's death. I had no idea I felt like this. But it makes sense; it's why it was so easy to forgive her, even after everything she did. And now, when it's just the two of us and it feels like there's nothing else in the world but us, I can't deny it. I like her. A lot. And I do want to kiss her because I might never get the chance again.

"Do you…well…I mean…I could...?" Sophia stutters and smiling gently, I lean forwards and kiss her.

I expect her to punch me but she kisses me back almost at once. It feels good, so good, and for the first time since Maddy's death, I feel happy. Completely and utterly happy. I curl my hand in her hair and she rests her hand on my cheek, apparently shy. I've apparently wanted this for a very long time and I think she might have done too, because she's not pulling away. I'm not sure how long we kiss but it feels great, and happiness spreads through me, lighting me up. I feel like I'm floating on cloud nine.

And for the moment, all that matters is her. I don't want this moment to ever end.

Xxx

**Ella**

_In the history of Mogadore, there were those who were strong enough to gain powers that were similar to the Loric's. This is not known well, since the history turned to legend, and legend turned to myth. Setrakus Ra is the last of an extinct race of Mogadorians who are able to harvest and control these powers, thus appearing to be Loric. However, he is purely Mogadorian and-_

With a snort, I knock the Great Book onto the floor. Even _I'm_ impressed by the lies that Setrakus has made up to make him look legit to the mogs. No wonder they love Setrakus so much; they have no idea that he's secretly a Loric. If only they knew the truth; then things would be different. I stare at the crumpled pages, wishing that I could burn it, but my legacies don't stretch to that. I could try and zap it against my force field but the only time that legacy seems to work is when things are being thrown at me.

I sigh, standing upright and heading into my bedroom, hating the sight of the Great Book. I catch myself in the mirror, my seventeen-year-old face staring back at me. I'm starting to get used to it, even starting to like it a little. It's weird to think that I'm now the same age as Stanley and the others. Maybe once this war is over, I'll revert to my younger self and be the youngest again. Thankfully Aeternus gives me that option. But for now, I'll have to remain 17 whilst I try and play the mogs.

I know it's working. Training with Cody has occupied a lot of my time and I don't have time to scream at the mogs, to fight with them about their warped ideas. But more than that, I've been having such a good time working with my legacies, seeing what they're capable of, that you could almost say I'm indebted to Setrakus for speeding them up. Or that's probably what he thinks anyway. But the fact that I haven't tried to break out of here either has helped in my favour.

Flopping down on the bed, I feel a twinge of pain in my ankle. It still hurts slightly, still tender from the scar burnt by Setrakus. I tried to research in the Great Book for a meaning but I have no idea what it does. It must benefit Setrakus of course, otherwise I have no idea why else it would be on my ankle. Maybe if he's killed, then _I'm_ killed. The thought is so horrendous that I decide against it.

I feel a pit of loneliness in my stomach; I've been alone so much that I crave company. I don't know what's going on with the others with the Resistance. I've tried reaching out to them but the distance must be too far because I've felt nothing. I know they're fighting back, and making the mogs angry too, but I'm not told much by the mogs. I guess they think I'm too much of a loose cannon for all that. But I wish that I could talk to someone that's not Cody or my evil, twisted grandfather. I just want to talk to someone.

_Marina? _I try to reach her again but I get nothing. They must have drugged her up or she's sleeping. I wish I could see her again but they won't let me. I know that's part of the process. Make me desperate to see her and I'll agree to work with them.

_Stanley?_ I reach out for him, expecting nothing. _Stanley, can you hear me? Please hear me…I need to know that you're all right._ There's nothing and I sigh in frustration, angrily brushing my hair away from my face.

_El…Ella?_ I sit up in shock at Stanley's voice, feeling a surge of relief. He heard me!

_Stanley! You can hear me!_ I exclaim, wrapping my arms around my knees in delight. He's alive! He's alive and he can hear me! The relief that they haven't killed him is so strong that I almost feel light headed. I have to try to be calm though otherwise the mogs will find out something is going on.

_Sure can, kid, you're, like, screaming in my head. Can't you keep it down or something? You're going to give me a headache,_ he grumbles but I can sense his relief too. I have tears in my eyes and I try to control myself, not wanting the mogs to know what I'm doing. Otherwise they might punish Stanley or Marina.

_Sorry,_ I blush, even though he can't see me. _I just…I've tried contacting Marina and I haven't heard from her. _I'm so buzzed that I can finally talk to someone I care about that I could laugh but instead, I take a deep breath.

_She's here,_ there's an undertone to his voice that doesn't reassure me. _She's here and she's alive. We all are for now._

_Good,_ I sigh in relief. Marina and Stanley are alive! That's more than I could have asked for at this point. _How are you hanging on?_

_Just peachy,_ his voice is sarcastic, even in my mind. _You know, push-ups, watching Sophia getting beaten up, oh and hearing Marina cry over Joseph's death. _I wince at that, my fists clenching in anger when I think of Marina crying. The mogs will pay for this, they really will. Even if I have to spend months playing the game, I'll do it.

_Hang on in there a little longer,_ I say. _I can try and bargain for your release, or at least your lives,_ I can practically hear him snort, and I can imagine him shaking his head.

_Please, kid, don't be stupid,_ his words are harsh but his tone is nice. _You know as well as I do that there's no way they'll let us live now. Not even if you flutter your eyelashes at the evil freak and act all cute. _I roll my eyes without helping myself because not even imprisonment can tone Stanley down.

_Maybe as the evil freak's granddaughter I might have influence._ I think the words before I remember that Stanley doesn't know what a monster I'm related to. Horrified, I hold my breath, expecting his disgust, his hatred. I'm related to that monster and he should hate me after everything that Setrakus has done. But instead I feel shock but something like happiness too. Stanley is _happy?_

_Hey, this is good,_ he says. _Screwed up, but good. Ella, you can do some crazy shit up there. You've got influence, power even. You've just got to hang in there until the others bust us out of this hellhole. _I nod, before pretending to shake my hair out of my eyes. I don't want the mogs to know I'm having a secret conversation with Stanley.

_Trust me, I'm working on it…I've…I've got a plan, _I lie. But Stanley doesn't need to know that I'm as lost as him. _We'll get out of here, Stanley. I'll get you and the others out of there. It just might take some time. _I can feel his acknowledgement.

_Sounds good to me, kid…_He falls silent and then he's back, but it's weaker. _I think they're coming to drug Sophia and I…get rid of our legacies again. I don't think I can talk for long…_Fear of being left alone races through me but I take a deep breath. I need to be strong.

_Ok, just hold on, Stanley. I'm going to play them at their game, you'll see, _I promise him. _We'll see each other soon. _I can hear his acknowledgment, his pride and I feel a swell of delight. Stanley is proud of me. He's _proud_ of me.

_I'll see you soon, kid. Stay safe._

The connection is suddenly cut and then my head is silent. I feel tears in my eyes at being left alone but there's hope there too. Stanley is alive. He's ok. And so is Marina and Sophia too, although I don't know Sophia that much. Not that I want her dead of course, but she's not my priority as much as Stanley and Marina. I would die for those two.

And Stanley doesn't hate me! He still likes me, even though Setrakus is my grandfather. I never thought that he could be so understanding but the fact that he still accepts, maybe still _likes_ me makes me feel like I could do anything. I could even take on Setrakus Ra in this very moment if I knew no one depended on me. Unfortunately I can't…but I can practice for the moment when I can.

I sit up straight, concentrating on my legacy of force field. It's the one that's taking the longest to work on. I imagine creating a force of energy in front of me, protecting me, and then a rush of power races through me. I've never felt so strong, so confident and I know that's caused by hearing Stanley and his faith in me. I feel another rush of energy and then I feel something race from my hands. I open my eyes, gasping when I see the force field in front of me, strong and deadly. The thin film dances over my palms and spreads out in front of me, thin but impossible to break.

I hold the force field as long as I can but my power soon waves and I have to let it go. Yet I realize that I'm stronger than I thought I was. I was able to conjure a force field without pain staring me in the face. Confidence races through me, and I feel so strong, so deadly. I feel strong enough to take on the mogs and win. I know that I can win this fight, I just have to be smart and clever. But I can do this.

And I _will_ do this. I will make the mogs regret the day they thought I could be one of them. I will make them all pay.

* * *

**Ok, so hope you enjoyed the little romance in there! The Sophia/ Stanley bit might seem a bit contrived, but I think that since they have no idea when they're going to die, they might out a little differently.**

**Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter some big stuff is going to happen!**

**Please review! **


	50. Chapter 49 - The Prophecy

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I love looking at them (especially because I have so much work at the moment and they keep me going!) So a huge thank you to everyone!**

**Answers to reviews – **

\- **Next chapter will be the last chapter and then the new story will begin. It's going to be called the Uprising. The POVs will pretty much be the same for that story.**

\- **There will be some character deaths, I will warn you. There are going to be two but after that things will settle down.**

\- **I'm glad that you like the way I blend the two canons! I have to say, they blended much easier than I expected them to!**

\- **We won't be seeing Maren's little sister for a bit, sorry :/**

**So a huge thank you for reviewing and please read on!**

* * *

Chapter 49 – The Prophecy

**Marina**

Ice coats the walls again, and a light snow falls from the ceiling, landing on every surface. It's beautiful, but dangerous too. I don't even feel cold anymore, just numb, even though I know that I'm probably in serious trouble right now. I can see that my fingers are blue and I can't feel anything, which is never a good sign. Yet I can't find it in me to care anymore. What's the point?

Hector's gone. My dear, sweet Hector who wanted to help me so much. I feel tears in my eyes as I think of the beautiful dresses he made me. He had faith in me when no one else did. He helped me when Adelina ran to her room, wanting to escape reality. At times, he was the only friend I had. And now he's dead, dead because of _me_. I feel sick but I have nothing in my stomach to throw up. I wish that I could have spoken to him one more time, just one last time. To say thank you for everything he'd ever done. To apologise for making the last days of his life hell. But I can never talk to him again.

But worst of all, even worse than Hector's death, worse than every death on Lorien, they took Joseph from me. My Joseph, who would always be laughing or smiling. I shared my first proper kiss with him. I close my eyes, remembering that moment on the beach, tipping my head back against the wall. His lips had been so warm against mine, his arms wrapped so tightly around me. I had felt so safe, so happy then. I'll never feel like that ever again, I know that.

I wish that I could talk to him too. Tell him that I loved him from the moment I met him. That he was the only thing at times that made life worth living. That he was a million times better than anyone else on this whole damn planet. The tears slip down my cheeks and I try to focus on the moment on the beach, to warm myself up. I cling to the memory, as if the thought of his arms around me can warm me up. I'm lying to myself of course. He's dead and I'm here, freezing to death.

I'm surprised I even have my legacy but maybe they think there's no point in drugging me. I'm too weak to be a threat to them. Besides, it's not like I have the motivation to kill, to fight. I don't even care anymore. What's there left to fight for? Hector is dead now, beaten to death by the mogs. He died because I opened my stupid mouth and said that the mogs would kill everyone. It wasn't even worth it. And now he's dead and I'm all alone. I haven't even heard from Ella; who knows what's happening to her?

Stanley and Sophia are making things even worse. My pep talk about making moments count now more than ever seemed to have gotten to Stanley and I saw them kissing yesterday. They haven't done it since but they're so close, and so _happy_ that it makes me feel sick. Part of me is glad that Stanley came to his sense and realised that Sophia wasn't to blame. That she is as much as victim as we are. I'm glad that they finally realised that they liked each other but it still makes me feel sick. I don't want to hate them, but I can't help it. Just seeing them smiling at each other reminds me of Joseph and I.

There's a sudden clanging sound and, with a jump, I open my eyes to see Cody enter my cell. I hear Stanley shouting insults, clearing hating Cody even more than he used to. I just shut my eyes, not sure what to think. Cody betrayed me, yet the other day he saved me. And he's been so disgusted by everything that's happened, I can tell. Yet, he's still clearly with the mogs. I hear a shuffling noise and then something warm and furry is draped around my shoulders. I open my eyes in shock to see Cody kneeling in front of me, wrapping a thick blanket around me. Despite myself, I huddle in the thick material.

Yet again, Cody is coming to the rescue. I don't know what to think.

"I'm sorry for everything," he whispers so softly that only I can hear. Stanley is still swearing but I hear Sophia talking as well, as if to calm him down. It must work because the two fall silent.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, suspicious. He looks at me, his face twisted up with something like shame and embarrassment as he stands awkwardly above me.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right. After everything you've been through…I wanted to make sure you were ok," I shrug, looking at the ground. I'm not all right, not at all, but I don't want Cody to know that.

"What do the mogs make of you being here?" I ask, because they must wonder what he's playing at. He laughs bitterly, avoiding my eyes.

"They think I'm trying to convert you to their side," he shrugs. "Not that it matters. They don't even care about me anymore. They think I'm nothing," he says bitterly.

Cody settles down, and I notice a bag by his feet. He unzips it and I watch as he pulls out a thermal long-sleeved top, a jumper, jeans, thick socks and some sturdy boots. Part of the package to persuade me I bet. He passes me the clothes and I change into them, not even caring that he's here. I've been through hell and back; I don't even care about being modest anymore. But Cody clearly does because he averts his eyes, his cheeks pink from more than cold.

"Were you there…when Hector died?" I ask after I'm changed. His eyes flicker upwards briefly, noticing that I'm fully dressed and wrapped up in the blanket again. It's so warm and I feel grateful even for these small luxuries.

"Yes," he swallows, looking sick. "They made me watch," I suppress the sick feeling and carry on, needing to know the truth.

"Did he say anything…before he died?" I whisper. Cody nods, his eyes lowered.

"He said that he loved you," he says, watching as I chuck my dirty clothes into a corner. My new clothes are so warm and comfortable and it feels like heaven. "He said that he never blamed you for anything. He said…he said he was still betting on you,"

Tears slip down my cheeks before I can help it. Hector didn't hate me, even after everything I had done to him. He still loved me, still betted on me. Cody doesn't know what to do as I cry, the tears freezing on my cheeks. I try to wipe them away but my numb fingers are clumsy. I've cried so much recently that I can't believe I still have more tears left.

I notice Cody's one eye watching me sadly and staring at it makes me feel sick. Shame curdles in my stomach when I see it, reminding me of what I've done. I hurt him badly. I confirmed his feelings that the Loric hated him and I made it worse. I need to make it better. But not for him, but for me.

Maybe hoping that healing him can relieve some of my pain, my guilt, I reach out. My legacy of healing, one I haven't used in so long, surges up in me with a strength I didn't even realise I had when I feel so weak. I touch his cheek, focusing on his eye, and the legacy races into him. The icy feeling takes my breath away but it's warm too, promising a lack of pain. Cody goes rigid and then pales, as his eye socket begins to knit up again, his damaged eye becoming whole. My legacy is finished in less than a minute and then he rips off the gauze. I gasp when I see his eye. Whole. Healed.

"Marina…" he touches his eye, tears welling up in both of them. "I…I can see again…My eye, it's back," he whispers, his face shining with joy. I smile softly, exhausted but relieved. I felt so guilty whenever I saw that destroyed eye. I hated him when I did it but it's not his fault that Joseph is dead. Cody is just a pawn; he's controlled as much as I am. Besides…no one should be blinded like that.

"Why did you do that?" he seems stunned, barely able to accept what I've done. I smile, feeling pleased. Now I have nothing to be guilty about concerning Cody. That's one less weight off my shoulders. One less thing to be guilty about. I know that if Joseph were here, he'd be proud of me.

"I shouldn't have done that to you in the first place," I shrug. "I'm sorry," Cody shakes his head, seeming stunned, his eyes filled with more tears.

"_You're _sorry_?_" he shakes his head. "You have _nothing _to be sorry about," he says firmly, taking my hand in his. "I…I can't thank you enough. For this…for everything. For being my friend when no one else was," he looks down. "I just betrayed you over and over," I reach out, linking my hand with his.

"It wasn't your fault," I say, not sure whether I mean it. "You were lost, had no help…the mogs manipulated you. They knew your weaknesses and exploited you. They've done the same to me," I smile weakly.

"We were friends and I ruined it," he shakes his head, shyly meeting my eyes. "You have no idea how much I want to return to that time, Marina. When you and I were friends…I want that more than anything," I smile, feeling warm for the first time in a while. Maybe Cody can be changed. Maybe there's hope.

"We can," I squeeze his hand. "You saved me from the mogs the other day. I know you would have saved Hector if you could," I whisper, trying to make him feel better. I know what guilt is like; it tears you apart and destroys you. Cody shouldn't feel like that either. It's not his fault, it's all the mogs' fault.

"I never meant to hurt you," he whispers, and it's suddenly the boy I first met in front of me. _Cody_, not the traitor, sits in front of me. He's acting like the boy I became friends with and the relief I feel is so intense that I almost feel happy. He's back. One act of kindness is more powerful than any shouting or pushing, and that one act has made Cody crack.

"I know," I nod. "And I forgive you for everything. Joseph would too,"

He starts to cry then, and I pull him towards me, wondering what the mogs make of this. Do they think that he's convinced me? Or are they going to be even more suspicious of him? Then it strikes me that they just don't care. What do our feelings, our thoughts matter when we're locked down here under mogadorian control? We can't do anything and they know it. We could be planning a rebellion and they don't care because we can't do a damn thing.

"I don't know what to do," he finally says, so quietly that I know the cameras can't pick up on it. "I can't stand being here. Not now. Not after everything they've done,"

I know at once he's not lying. That he really is disgusted by the way Ella and I have been treated. Maybe he was told that we would be treated like princesses, not locked away and physically and mentally tortured. And of course, me healing him will have changed everything. Made him realise that I'm his friend, not his enemy. Whatever the reason, Cody isn't the traitorous boy I came to hate. He's starting to be like the old Cody, the one that became my friend.

"Are you with the Loric?" I ask softly. He sighs, moving away from me. He takes a deep breath, trying to be strong, but he's vulnerable.

"I don't know, Marina," he sighs. "But I'm not with the mogs. They made me kill Albert, my mentor," he swallows painfully. "And then they killed Ethan, my second mentor, in front of me…he was so defenceless, helpless. It wasn't his fault," I nod, waiting for more.

"And…they've tortured you, made you hurt so badly," his hands tighten and I watch his face register anger, hatred. "I will make them pay for that, I promise," he vows, his voice still low. He takes a deep breath and I feel the tiniest surge of triumph.

"And I'll make them pay for Albert and Ethan's deaths," I whisper, meaning every word. Every drop of Loric blood that has been spilt with be avenged, and that's a fact.

"I don't know whose side I'm on. I don't know what I'll do to make them pay," Cody decides, a determined light in his eyes. "But that doesn't mean I won't help you or Ella, my only two friends," He straightens his shoulders. "Whatever you want, I'll help you. I promise. I'm your friend now and you can trust me. Always,"

Xxx

**Sophia**

Stanley snores on the bed, his arm thrown carelessly away from him. He looks so young and vulnerable when he sleeps, the usual cocky snarl stripped away and revealing the face of a young boy. It's almost refreshing to see him like this, to know that beneath the annoying persona, there's a young boy that's as scared as I am.

He had certainly been nervous yesterday, even if he'd never admit it. Thinking back on our kiss, I turn bright red. It had been a moment of madness really, one that we had both enjoyed and wanted, but still, it was mad. I know that if we weren't facing death then it wouldn't have happened for a very long time. Not that I regret it of course. I would do it all over again. And I want to do it again now.

I hear him groan and I turn with a smirk to see him roll over, slowly waking up. In the next cell, Marina is fast asleep, not waking up despite Stanley's snoring. There's something different about her, ever since Cody visited. She's seems more determined again, practicing her new legacy for hours on end. But I'm not sure what it is they were talking about that's fired her up; they were too quiet and she hasn't told us anything. I'm distracted from my thinking when Stanley groans again, rolling over.

"Morning sleeping beauty," I tease him. He grins, shaking his shaggy hair as if to shake sleepiness off him.

"Man, I'm tired. How long was I asleep for?" he asks.

"A few hours. You were snoring," I reply. He rolls his eyes but I can sense the good mood he's in as he walks over to me, sitting opposite me.

"You know, Stanley, about the kiss and all that," I blurt out before he can say anything. "If you regret it, or don't want to do it again, then I completely-"

Before I can finish, he leans over and presses his lips against mine in a short, but very sweet, kiss. I blush to my roots, my eyes wide as he pulls back, a lazy grin on his face. But I can see that this is just a show like usual. That deep down he's just as nervous and insecure as me.

"Hey, I'm not going to turn down kissing a pretty girl," he flashes me a cocky grin and I narrow my eyes, a smile playing on my lips.

"Stanley, be serious," I warn and he laughs, sitting down in front of me. His face has a more genuine look and he takes my hands in his, tracing the back of my skin. It feels really nice, really comforting.

"I _am_ being serious," he admits. "I'm so shit around girls that I like so I joke around, try to act all cool and confident," he admits, even though it was so obvious to me. "But I _do_ like you Sophia. You're funny and scary and cool and I like hanging around with you," he shrugs. "And I like kissing you too," he's blushing loads and I am too, but it's nice. It's the first time in here that I feel hopeful, excited for the future, no matter how short it is.

"I'm not good around guys either," I admit. "But I like hanging around with you too. And, you know, if you want to kiss again, then I have no problem with that," I smile softly. He laughs, leaning forwards, when there's a banging noise against the bars of the cell.

"Oops, sorry kids," I turn at the sneering voice, wincing when I see the mog outside. Stanley is up on his feet at once, fists clenched and teeth bared. It's amazing how quickly he turns mad when there's a mog around. I join him, determined to show that I'm just as strong.

"What do you want?" Stanley growls, acting like he's about to go mad and rip the mog to shreds. The mog grins, more mogs behind him, vatborns. They're carrying guns and staring straight ahead, as though this is normal for them, but the mog in charge is clearly enjoying every moment.

"You're to come and have a little get-together with our Beloved Leader," he smirks. "Trust me, you do _not_ want to miss it,"

I turn to Stanley, wondering what the hell is going on now. Stanley frowns but then nods; his curiosity is probably getting the best of him. The mog opens the bars, and the vatborns swarm through, locking us into handcuffs at once. Every instinct wants me to fight and I can tell it takes all of Stanley's control not to punch them. By the way he's breathing heavily, his teeth bared in a scowl makes it clear that he's barely holding himself together.

"This way," the mog saunters down the corridor and Stanley and I are dragged out. Marina clutches the bars, apparently woken up by the commotion and she stares at us with worried eyes as we're dragged away. But we're gone before she can do anything.

A bag is dropped over my head and the same for Stanley, before we're dragged down the corridor to our unknown destination. My heart pounds with fear and anticipation for what's coming. Are we going to die? Most likely. I refused to work for the mogs and I knew that we would suffer consequences as a result of that, a consequence even worse than the beating I took. I hear Stanley swearing and threatening the mogs up ahead and some small part of me is glad that he's here if this is the end. I try to steady my nerves by taking deep breaths. I have to be calm.

We finally stop after climbing stairs and being led down more corridors. I gasp slightly as my bag is taken off my head and I take in the room. It's warm and luxurious, with rich furnishings. It looks like the nice rooms that Stanley and I were taken too shortly before I had to kill his parents. Nearby, he kneels on the ground, breathing hard as he looks around him. He looks as suspicious as I feel.

"So nice to see the both of you again,"

I turn with a pang of fear to see Setrakus Ra standing by one of the windows, a smirk on his face. Stanley is on his feet at once at that voice, his face twisted up in anger. I watch as he tries to throw himself at Setrakus Ra, but he's handcuffed and the mogs drag him backward. I've never seen such a look of anger, or hatred on Stanley's face and it scares me. It also shames me just how strong he is, when I'm here, cowering from fear.

"I'll kill you, you sick bastard!" Stanley yells. "You killed my parents!" The mogs punch him in the stomach and he bends over with a cry, gasping for breath. I move forward to help him but the mogs knock me back, looking annoyed, like we're two pests.

"Enough," Setrakus says calmly. "I don't have much time. I have to be with Ella, to help with her training," he smirks triumphantly. "Ella has made the smart choice. She is working for me and the Mogadorians," I try to ignore the flash of anger at that thought, but Stanley is almost calm, as if he knows better. He sneers at Setrakus, trying to act confident.

"You mean you've forced her. Who did you have to threaten? Me? Marina?" Stanley laughs bitterly and he almost looks mad. His hatred both scares and impresses me. I never knew he felt this strongly; never knew he wanted revenge this badly.

"Technicalities aside," Setrakus waves his hand, as if to brush off the insults. "I have somewhere to be and I don't have long," I eye him nervously, waiting for this new development.

"Well seeing as we're waiting for you, why don't _you_ hurry up?" I snap, trying to be as brave as Stanley. Setrakus glares at me but the laugh I get from Stanley makes me feel stronger. It's so hard to fight back when my instinct has always been to run. I'm a runner, not a fighter. Not like Stanley…not like Maren.

"Bring him in," Setrakus says to someone else, who leaves the room quickly. I feel a surge of panic at that but I try to control my face, hide my fears. I wipe my sweaty palms on my trousers, wanting to look in control at least.

"Since we are so generous," Setrakus begins, not an ounce of sarcasm in his voice. "We thought that we would offer you one last chance Sophia, to pledge your allegiance to us," I watch him, knowing there must be a twist.

"Oh yeah, how?" Not that I'm considering it of course. I won't be a monster like him.

"We have recently captured another prisoner. He was leading the Loric council in Baladh and, during their uprising, was captured. We must punish him of course," I'm interested by this Loric leader, just because Baladh is where I grew up. But there are thousands, if not millions of people in Baladh. The chances of me knowing this man are slim.

"And?" I demand. Stanley watches us closely, his eyes narrowed in anger and concentration. I'm just glad he's quiet for the moment; his shouting makes it hard to think sometimes.

"We thought we'd offer you a choice. You kill Stanley, and you and our prisoner will be free to work for us. If you refuse this offer, then all three of you will die," he offers.

I laugh at his proposal. The thought of killing Stanley is ludicrous. No matter how wonderful the thought of being as free as I can be in this place is, I would never kill someone else to do it. Especially not if it's Stanley, who I would give my life for. Setrakus is insane. And even if that means I die, I'll take it. I knew I was going to die the minute I realized the Capital had captured us.

"You can go to hell," I hiss. Stanley shouts out in agreement, his eyes blazing with anger and fear. He knows that he's going to die, no matter what option I go for. But I think I can see gratitude that I chose to die along with him. I think he's glad that I won't sacrifice his life for mine.

"Are you sure?" Setrakus hisses, his face triumphant. "I think you ought to know who our prisoner is before you decide," his words strike fear in me and then he gestures with his hand, a nearby door flying open, revealing the bound and gagged prisoner.

My brother stares back at me.

I haven't seen Corban in three years, not since I was chosen for the 13th Annual Funeral Games. He must be 20 now but he looks older. His face is haunted and drawn, covered in bruises and cuts. He's got a beard and his hair is shaggy, hanging around his face. He's put on muscle and he looks stronger, harder. But his eyes are the same; warm and kind as they stare at me.

"Corban," I whisper, tears flooding my eyes. I wanted to see him ever since I was chosen for my Games. Wanted to see him again, talk to him about old times. It's cruel that today is the first chance I've had and we're both going to die. I try desperately to go over to him but the mogs drag me back, their grips painful. I feel like my heart is being broken again as I stare at him, the tears streaking down my face.

"I'll repeat my offer," Setrakus grins. "You kill Stanley, and you and your brother will work for us. If you refuse this offer, then all three of you will die. This is your last chance, Sophia,"

I shake my head again, tears slipping down my cheeks. I can't kill either of them; I would rather die myself. And I will die…there's no other way. Corban smiles at me, as if reassuring me that it was the right thing to do, and then I hear Stanley talking to me, telling me he doesn't care. That he would rather die than make me choose. Hearing that from him, seeing Corban's kindness fills me up with a love so strong for both of them that I could burst. Instead, more tears slip down my cheeks.

"Very well," Setrakus sighs, as if disappointed but I can see by the cruel smile that he's enjoying every moment. "You've left me no choice. Guards, take them away,"

Xxx

**John**

I stare at the picture, the familiar pain reminding me of her loss. Sarah's face stares back at me, her beauty impossibly perfect. Her blonde hair looks as soft as it felt as it falls around her face in loose waves, whilst her eyes shine in the light of the sunshine. I had taken this picture after our first Games, when I thought we had the world at our feet. When I thought we had a future together. A lump forms in my throat and my shaky hand brushes some tears away, the pain worse than ever. I'm starting to think no matter how many battles I fight, no matter how many mogs I kill, no matter how much I try to suppress it, the grief is never going to disappear.

"Hey, John, we need to-" Joseph bursts into our shared room, falling silent when he sees me. I shove the photo in my pocket, trying to smile.

"What's up?" I ask.

"I can leave if you want," He shifts awkwardly, his chimaera slinking into the room and heading straight for bed, where BK is already asleep. We were training with our chimaera this morning, trying to help them maintain their deadliest forms whilst being under pressure. They're exhausted now.

"No it's fine," I take a deep breath, standing up. "What's going on?" He smiles more easily this time, and I notice the lighter look in his eyes.

"We finally got word from some insiders in the Capital. Everyone's still alive," he reveals. I grin in relief; despite my own grief, I've still been worried about those in the Capital. Especially Stanley, who can never keep his mouth shut.

"Good," I grin. "I told you Marina would be ok," I leave the room, knowing that there's probably going to be a meeting in Commandment with this latest news.

"Alive doesn't mean ok," Joseph retorts but then he smiles. "Yeah, I'm so relieved. I couldn't handle it if…" he breaks off, as if remembering that I know _exactly_ how he would feel. "Sorry. How are you holding up?" he says sheepishly. I force a smile onto my face.

"It's no problem," I shrug. "Just taking one day at a time. Killing mogs helps big time," I admit. Joseph grins, as he leads us down to Commandment. Yeah, definitely got a meeting.

"Funnily enough Maren said the same thing when I asked her how she was doing," he grins. I roll my eyes, seeing Maren ahead of us with Adam and Sam. I can't see Alicia but she might already be there.

"I wonder what state Lorien is in now that the video of Innail has been released," I muse.

"That's what we're about to find out," Joseph says, pausing as Maren lets us into Commandment. She shoots me a grin and I feel my heart almost flutter, which is weird. I smile back, feeling slightly unsettled.

We enter the room, expecting Laws and other high officials to be there. But it's just Reynolds, Henri and Katarina sitting there, looking down at some notes. Alicia is early and in her usual spot, looking slightly confused. I smile at her, going to my usual seat, noticing that the map of Lorien has been deactivated too. So, no meeting then. Maren and Joseph sit next to me, whilst Adam and Sam take their normal places. Henri notices that we're all here and smiles, making sure the door is locked.

"Is this a private meeting or something?" Maren asks skeptically. "Are we planning on overthrowing Laws as well as the mogs?" she asks. I snort and she shoots me a grin, but Kat rolls her eyes.

"You're here because you deserve the truth," Henri says. "About _everything," _I have no idea what he's talking about to be honest but I know he loves being mysterious like this.

"But first we thought we'd just update you," Reynolds says quickly. "As you know, news of Innail and the video we released has spread quickly," he says. I nod, excitement kindling in me. I can tell we're about to hear some good news.

"Well, it did the job. All the cities, even the Southern Cities are now in open rebellion. Innail and Navaria have officially been declared as Loric wins, so the mogs have decided to focus on other cities," I share a grin with Maren, feeling a thrill of excitement. Of course there will be a retaliation. But for the moment, we're the winners.

"And what about me?" Adam asks. "How did they react to my video?" I had briefly seen his video where he admitted to being a mog traitor and it had been good.

Henri grins. "There was some confusion at first. But the Capital then released a video about what a traitor you were and shouldn't be trusted, how you should be killed. After that, the Loric have decided to trust you because anyone the Capital denounces must be good," he laughs. Adam sighs in relief, and Alicia shakes his shoulder lightly, a grin on her face.

"So the Capital have shot themselves in the foot again," she rolls her eyes. "Wow, they _never_ learn," The mood is pretty light and relieved, and it's the first time that I start to think we can really do this. If every city is like Innail then we can win this war.

"But that's not why you're here," Reynolds shuffles his papers. "You're here to learn the whole truth," I frown, not sure what they mean. Henri talks before we can though, apparently seeing the looks on our faces.

"We're here to talk about Setrakus Ra…He's Loric," he says bluntly.

I stare at Henri, shocked and repulsed. The leader of the Mogadorians is _Loric?_ Everyone looks as shocked as I feel, and I want to deny it. The thought of being the same race as that monster makes me feel sick. No Loric that cruel, that evil can be one of us. No Loric would want to work with Mogadorians and take over our planet. No one would ever do that. But I can see the truth on Henri's face and I know he's not lying. Why would he? The disgust makes me feel sick and angry; Setrakus might have been born Loric but he's a Mogadorian now. That much is true.

"So why do we need to learn this?" Maren's teeth are clenched and Kat shoots her a look.

"You need to know what really happened," she sighs. Henri clears his throat and starts.

"Setrakus Ra was Loric once and was known by another name, Decimus. As you know, at the start of every Century the Elders would choose a new set of Elders to lead the planet for the next 100 years. The same tradition happened for last century, the 26th Century. Ten Elders were chosen and all were to fulfill the roles set out for the Elders,"

I nod along, knowing this much at least. The Elders of that century were all killed when the mogs came to Lorien. Loridas was killed last but according to Henri, he was able to tell the mentors about the prophecy of us ten Elders coming forwards, stronger than any Elders before us.

"All Elders had to prove themselves before they were chosen," Henri explains. "Healing people, for example, or fighting for Lorien. At the start of the 26th century, the Mogadorians had become more and more hostile to the Loric and the Loric wanted to resolve this by sending another peace mission. Decimus and his best friend, Roran, had been sent on this mission to settle peace with Mogadore. However, the Mogadorians had planned an ambush and many more Loric would have died if Decimus and Roran had not been there. They were rewarded for their bravery by becoming Elders,"

"Makes sense so far," Maren shrugs, still looking annoyed.

"Roran undertook the role of Pittacus and became the most powerful, whilst Decimus took the role of Setrakus Ra. All seemed well. Yet there were growing issues concerning the tenth aspect that Setrakus had undertaken. Power was considered un-Loric by many and not suitable like the other aspects. It wasn't helped with Setrakus started to experiment,"

"Experiment?" I ask. Kat nods solemnly.

"He thought it was unfair how some Loric were granted legacies, whilst others weren't," Kat explains. "He thought that if he could harness Lorien, he could give legacies to everyone, to unite Lorien,"

"Harness Lorien?" Joseph asks with a frown. "How the hell do you do that?"

"He wanted to literally suck the spirit of Lorien out of the ground," Henri explains, grinning at our looks. "Lorien isn't just a planet, it's like an Entity. A power, I suppose. It decides who has legacies and who becomes Cepans. It comes in many forms, one you might know: Loralite, the stone that your pendants are made from. But the main form of Lorien is a stream of energy, buried deep in the core of Lorien," he explains. I nod, trying to keep along.

"First Setrakus tried collecting Loralite and experimented with that to try and develop Legacies. It didn't work; it just wasn't strong enough. Then, he went to Elders Isle, where he found the main opening to the resting place of the Entity, of Lorien. He tried to suck it out of the ground and control it, bend it to his will,"

"What?" Maren bursts out. "That's impossible!" She shakes her head but Kat shakes her head.

"It's not impossible but it's very hard. It had taken years for Setrakus to even create the machine to do that and it was corrupted, wrong. But as he was trying to suck the energy out of the ground, Pittacus found him. He stopped Setrakus but the fight was intense, bloody," Kat explains. "It wasn't until the other Elders intervened that the fight stopped,"

Henri sighs. "Setrakus was banned from the Elders, the tenth position of the Elders was removed, and he was erased from the histories. It was never explained to the public why, the Elders were too ashamed, and Setrakus was sentenced to a secret execution. Pittacus wanted to do it; he felt he had to be the one to do it," Henri shakes his head. "He failed his task,"

"Pathetic," Maren shakes her head. "If only he had done the damn job then none of this would have happened," she mutters. I agree with her but I'm not going to say it.

"Setrakus fled Lorien as Pittacus told him too. He was badly wounded from the attempted execution so he fled to Mogadore. He found a mentor and began to get stronger, hone his legacies. He grew stronger and stronger, and wanted to go back to Lorien, to beat Pittacus and become the only ruling Elder. He believed that his suffering had made him deserve the right," Henri says. He reaches for a drink of water and Reynolds takes over.

"He came back after 50 years of training and starting to destroy Lorien. Burning cities, killing innocent Loric, sending plagues…he did everything to capture the Elders' attention. It didn't take long," he says. "Pittacus and he met on Elder's Isle to fight, the last battle between the two,"

"And he failed again," Maren scowls. I try not to smile at the look on her face.

"Pittacus and Setrakus fought for two days straight. It was a terrible battle and both were gravely wounded. It's popular belief that both men died that day, but only one did," Henri sighs, rubbing his face.

"That wimp Pittacus," Joseph rolls his eyes before the mentors can say anything. Adam is listening aptly, his face filled with interest.

"Is it, I dunno, treason to call Pittacus names?" Sam asks. I grin as Henri rolls his eyes, shaking his head.

"No, and we're getting off track," he reminds us. "Pittacus knew that he was going to die once he had been stabbed close to the heart. He was not strong enough to beat Setrakus, who had been training for this moment for years. But Pittacus managed to fight to the top of Calakmul, the temple on Elder's Isle, where he jumped in the well and sacrificed himself," Maren looks impressed that someone could fight to the top of a temple with a stab wound and I admit, I feel the same.

"Setrakus had to flee Lorien since his wounds were too grave," Kat continues. "He fled to Mogadore and he was healed of his terrible injuries. His appearance was mutilated and destroyed in the process, which is why he's so damn ugly now," she grins. "He began to help the mogs with their fertility issues, developed ways for them to keep going. They started to worship him like a god," I roll my eyes and notice Adam blush, as if embarrassed by his own race.

"Setrakus wanted revenge for everything. So 50 years later, when he was strong again and had the support of Mogadore, he came back to Lorien. And you know the rest," Henri concludes. I sigh, rubbing my temples.

"How does that help us?" I ask wearily. "I mean, it's interesting, don't get me wrong. But how does it help us?"

"You need to know history in order to not repeat the same mistakes," Henri says wisely. Kat rolls her eyes, lightly slapping Henri's arm. I notice a blush on both their cheeks.

"We don't want you to screw up and we want you to kill Setrakus," Kat says. Maren grins, actually cracking her knuckles.

"No problem," she vows. "It'll be my pleasure,"

Reynolds clears his throat. "Also, whilst Setrakus was healing, something else was happening. Loridas, the Elder that told us all this, had seen a prophecy. Only Pittacus could kill Setrakus," He pauses and the news hits us like a tonne of bricks.

"But he's in the core of Lorien!" I exclaim in horror.

"Not quite," Henri smiles. "Remember, the man who died, Roran, was just fulfilling the role of Pittacus, like Decimus was just fulfilling the role of Setrakus. Pittacus isn't a person; it's a role,"

"So we're hoping that one of you is going to fulfill the role of Pittacus," Reynolds grins at the looks on our faces. Joseph shakes his head, confused.

"Ok, but which one of us is supposed to be Pittacus?" he asks. Henri shrugs.

"I don't know. The aspects of beauty, compassion or power don't necessarily line up with the roles. You see, you could represent the aspect of beauty and be Pittacus. Or you could be Pittacus and be the aspect of intelligence. Likewise, you could have the aspect of innocence and undertake the role of Loridas. It changed with every Elder, depending on their legacies. That's the only constant,"

"That's just confusing," Joseph complains. "So we have our aspects because of our personality, but our 'roles' or names depends on our legacies?" he asks and Henri nods. "So one of us here could be Pittacus or one of the others in the Capital?" he asks.

"Pretty much," Reynolds frowns.

"And if it's one of the ones that have died, we're screwed," Maren scowls. Henri smiles calmly, but I know him well enough to see the stress on his face. He must have been thinking that for a long time.

"For now, it's not a big deal. You have to do it when there's a real chance of victory," he says gently. "Right now, all that matters are the cities and the Capital. But soon…soon we'll worry about the prophecy,"

"Wait, does Setrakus know that only Pittacus can kill him?" I ask. Henri nods, a triumphant look on his face.

"Yes, and he thinks that Pittacus is never coming back. He's underestimated Lorien," I share a grin with the others and I start to feel confident. I can tell the others feel the same.

This is our secret weapon against Setrakus. He thinks that the _person_ Pittacus is the only thing that can kill him, not the _role. _And one of us is Pittacus, I'm sure of it, one of us who is alive and not dead. We _will_ release the role and one of us will become Pittacus. We _can_ kill Setrakus.

And we _will._

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**So, hope you all enjoyed! One more chapter to go and then this story is done!**

**Please review!**


	51. Chapter 50 - The Beginning of the End

**Hi guys!**

**A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed and favourite and followed! I appreciate all of the support that you have given me as this story goes on and I really appreciate every comment, every review! They all mean the world to me and a huge thank you!**

**Answers to reviews –**

\- **For the people who will die, I have made sure that it's not just a plot twist for the sake of emotion (unlike a certain someone we know). I will not kill them off just for the sake of it – there is a good reason, at least I think so.**

\- **John was originally going to be Pittacus, but I've changed my mind. Fortunately, I hadn't done anything that labelled him as Pittacus! I agree with you guys that he's too predictable as a Pittacus and anyway, I've chosen someone I think is ****_far_**** more suitable. Someone who I think fits the role a million times better than John does. He's still important (they all are) but I think he's better as another soldier to be honest.**

\- **I agree that I don't think Marina would have healed Cody in the books, but I think they have a little bit more in their 'relationship' in this story than they did in the books. **

**So a huge thank you to everyone! **

**Since this chapter is so short, I will post again on Wednesday and then Saturday as normal. Just to make sure, the next story will be the Uprising and will be there on Wednesday!**

**Please read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter 50 – The Beginning of the End

**Unknown POV **

The elevator slowly descends into the huge cavernous room that stretches all the way to the top of the base, levels and levels of different floors. I can see corridors leading off to the other parts of the base, looking like holes in the huge chute. As always the base takes my breath away; the people remind me of a colony of ants, milling around in the huge complex. And I'm right in the centre of it all.

"This way," the guard insists on leading me to Commandment every time, even though I know exactly where I'm going. I've done enough missions, been here enough times that I know where I'm going.

But this time, something is different. Maybe because of the fighting going above ground or the fact that the videos are doing so well, but something is definitely different. The people smile when they see me, as if recognising me, although they shouldn't. I can sense an air of triumph, as though the war has already been won. I don't share their confidence though; we may have won Innail and Navaria, but we have a long way to go. And the news I'm about to bring to President Laws is far from good news.

I head down to Commandment, my hands clutching the important file in my hands. My heart pounds nervously, as it always does before a meeting, no matter how many times I've proved myself a loyal ally. I take a deep breath, watching as the guard gets us through the security stands to get to the room; it seems like there are even more security stops than before.

We're walking down the corridor to Commandment when I see them leaving the room, apparently just finishing off their own meeting. The Elders. Our leaders. My heart seems to stop when I see them up close, even more impressive than I thought. Yes, they're kids, but there's something so _powerful_ about them. They were chosen for a reason.

The first is a boy, tall and tanned. He's leanly muscular with dark curly black hair and the greenest eyes you'll ever see. My heart stops when I stare at him. Elder Eight. The girl next to him is shorter than he is, but still tall for a girl. She has straight black hair, striking face and grey eyes that seem to flash dangerously. Elder Six. Next to her walks the last Elder that was rescued, Elder Four. He's slightly shorter than Elder Eight with short blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Like the others he seems to contain a hidden power that even they doesn't recognise.

They pass us, smiling and nodding at me in greeting, and I think my heart stops. I feel like I've just seen a god and my guard smiles when he sees the look on my face. I think he feels the same way every time he looks at them. After all, they're Elders, the chosen ones to save us from this hell. They're stronger than any other Loric on the planet; their legacies are said to even be stronger than the original Elders. They practically _are_ gods.

"Impressed?" the guard smiles. "You should see them fighting," he grins, leading me down the short corridor. I laugh, still feeling star struck.

"I have. I've seen the videos," I admit. He laughs, swiping his key card to get into Commandment and we enter the room. It's pretty empty; President Laws sits in her usual spot at the head of the table, whilst a few other people sit around them. I recognise them as the mentors of the Elders.

"Please, take a seat," Laws says, her face pinched in a frown. I wonder what she's so worked up about now; she can't have heard the news already, can she? I take a seat, nervously wiping the seat from my brow.

"I have news that I thought you needed to know immediately," I say, my voice shaking. The mentors exchange looks and I swallow nervously, pushing the folder towards Laws, as she would want. She sighs, opening the folder, reading the contents.

Her face pales at once when she sees the poster. I know that I felt the same way. I know what she's seeing: three faces printed on the page, names underneath. A sentence accusing them of treason. A date for the public execution that will take place in four days time. Laws hands shake, as she reads it again, as if hoping that her eyes were wrong.

"What is it?" one of the mentors finally asks, noticing the sick dread on my face and Laws' broken composure. "What's happening?"

Laws takes a deep breath, putting the poster back into the folder. She folds her hands over the folder, trying to stop the shaking and I can see the mad look of anxiety in her eyes. She smiles calmly but it's clear to see the turmoil in her eyes. She doesn't know what to do. Seeing that from her, who has successfully been leader for the past 15 years scares me.

"There is to be a public execution in four days time in the Capital," she finally says. "Elder Nine, Elder Five and her brother, the head of the Loric council in Baladh, are all to be executed,"

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**Dun dun dun! Haha, I think it was obvious that was coming but still, hope you enjoyed! So the next update will be on Wednesday in the new story the Uprising!**

**See you then and please review! **


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